A Monster's Love
by kie-san
Summary: Gaara was always treated differently, like a monster. But, what happens when someone actually shows him kindness, happiness, and even love? But, can he supress his bloody past and move on? Gaara x OC. FINISHED! Please R&R!
1. The Beginning

Welcome to the first-ever fanfic written by me, Kie-san! The main characters are Gaara (of course) and an OC, Kitai...  
  
.....  
  
I guess I'm not all that good at intro's -sweatdrops-. Just read it and PLEASE tell me if it's any good or if it sucks... I hope you think it's good! Just give it a chance. It might seem boring at first... but it's not... really...  
  
BTW, chapters are kinda short, but there are ten of them, so I guess that makes it a decent sized fic...  
  
Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto... and Gaara... but I don't...  
  
Chapter 1: The Beginning  
  
It was another sleepless night for Gaara as he sat on the roof of one of the Leaf's buildings. It had been two weeks since the preliminaries for the third part of the Chuunin exam, and boredom had been occupying most of his days. There was one thing he was looking forward to: the battle with Uchiha Sasuke. Killing him would define being alive for him. A malevolent grin slowly spread across his expressionless face.  
"Hey, you're in my spot."  
A voice cut through the night and snapped him out of his sleepless dreams. He turned his head, and found himself looking at a girl who was probably about his age. She wore a headband over what looked like shoulder length jet black hair. Her hair seemed to have been cut by herself, but instead of looking ugly and disorganized, it gave her a more carefree look. She wore a stern look on her face, but her eyes gave away her amusement.  
Gaara didn't move, but instead gave her an annoyed glare. Everyone he had looked at like this always broke out in a cold sweat, and usually left him alone. But the girls' watery blue eyes just let his stare float away. She shrugged and sat down beside him.  
"Fine," she sighed, "If you're too lazy to move, I guess I'll just sit here, for now anyway." Gaara was slightly surprised at her response, although he didn't show it.  
"You're one of the Genin here for the Chuunin exam, aren't you?" she asked as she looked him over briefly. Gaara gave a slight nod. "Where are you from?" Gaara didn't answer, but she kept looking at him expectantly.  
"The sand village," he muttered, feeling slightly irritated.  
"Ohh," she said in a tone of discovery, "You're that guy... um... Gaara of the Desert... I think... right?" Gaara gave another slight nod in response.  
"I didn't think I'd see you," she said with a slight laugh, "You struck me as the kind of guy that would stay in a closet to avoid being seen or something. Everyone's freaked about you. Naruto told me you had the scariest eyes." Gaara said nothing as she looked at him again.  
"If I'm such a monster, then why are you here?" he grumbled. She didn't answer, but just kept gazing at him. Gaara felt strange, like she could see something he couldn't. It was as if her eyes managed to pierce through his cool exterior. Finally, he felt her eyes turn to the sky.  
"Man, just look at you," she said softly, "Anymore scars and you'd fall apart." Gaara turned and glared at her. Something about her bothered him.  
"What are you talking about? I have no scars. I can't have scars," he spat. She looked at him with the saddest eyes he had seen anyone look at him with.  
"I didn't mean physical scars," she said softly. He got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was it possible that this girl had the power to see inside him? Was there such a clan in this village? He quickly got up. His heart was pounding in his ears as the sand poured out of his gourd. It circled her slowly. He wanted to get rid of her. Get rid of any evidence of what may be inside him. She remained seated as the sand kept circling her, apparently apathetic to the threat that was before her.  
"Are you going to kill me?" she asked softly, "Well, if it'll make you feel better... I guess. Maybe death won't be so bad, since living is so painful." Her eyes fell on him again. Eyes that were so sad and empty. So familiar. He looked away, but it was no use. He could still feel her looking at him. He quickly turned around, and the sand automatically poured back into his gourd.  
"Killing you would be a waste of time," he muttered as he jumped off the roof. She watched him disappear into the dark night.  
"Well," she sighed as she lay down on the roof, "At least the full moon looks beautiful tonight."  
  
Maybe death won't be so bad, since living is so painful...  
These words drummed over and over again in Gaara's head for the next few days. He tried to block them out, but then the image her despairing eyes came into his mind. Was it possible that someone else had experienced his pain? No. No one could understand all the pain in him that had slowly been contorted into hate. But still...  
Before long, Gaara found himself seeking out Uzumaki Naruto. She had said that she talked to him. Maybe he could find out more about her by asking him. Not that he really cared...  
"No, NO! You're such an idiot! You really don't have any talent!" A voice was carried over the rocky hot springs as Gaara alighted in a tree.  
"Shut UP! You pervert senin!! I'm trying as hard as I can!" He recognized the voice as Naruto's, then quickly spotted him standing in a clearing with a large man with white hair. They were both arguing loudly and looked really stupid. Gaara considered leaving, but her voice once again echoed in his mind. He jumped down into the clearing.  
Naruto was about to throw another string of insults at Jiraiya when he heard someone land nearby. He nearly jumped out of his shoes when he realized it was Gaara.  
"GAH!" shouted Naruto, "What're you doing here?? Whatever you're planning, it can wait until the finals!"  
"I want to ask you some questions," replied Gaara.  
"Huh? Hey, if you're asking me to tell you about Sasuke's techniques, then you can go screw yourself!" Gaara gave him a you're-getting-on-my- nerves glare. Naruto became quiet (for once).  
"I don't need help on my battle with Uchiha. I wanted to ask you about a girl."  
"What?" Naruto really looked dumbfounded this time, "A girl? I didn't think you were that type of guy." Another one of Gaara's glares shut up Naruto as a chill went up his spine.  
"There's a girl that says she knows you. She has black hair and blue eyes. Any ideas?" Naruto thought for a moment as Gaara's temper started to seethe.  
"Oh!" exclaimed Naruto, "Y'mean Kitai. Yeah, I know her. Why?"  
"Tell me about her."  
"Um, well, she's funny, nice, likes sweet foods and... uh... moonlit walks..."  
"I mean where she's from," Gaara was getting impatient.  
"Ack, geez! Why do you wanna know that??" Gaara gave him another fierce look. "All right! All right already! Lemme think..." He put his hand on his chin in a thoughtful matter. "Well, Kitai used to live in a village that's not too far from here. From what I know, she lived with her parents and some siblings. But the village was struck with famine, and it died out. Her family died out with it too, I think. She wandered here a few years ago, nearly dead from lack of food. The village has taken her in, although people don't really accept her. They don't like the idea of a non-shinobi living here." There was a disgusted, far away look in his eyes as he finished. Gaara's temper that had been mounting for the past few minutes ebbed away as he listened to her story.  
"Hey!" Naruto said gallantly as he puffed out his chest, "If you're planning on hurting her or something I swear I'll..." But he didn't get to finish because Gaara had already gone. He didn't like the strange feeling he got from Gaara. After all, that guy had said that his reason for living was killing everyone else...  
  
Kitai punched the air a few times, then started kicking it. Her taijutsu was exellent, after all, it had been based off of Rock Lee's and Gai-sensei's. She could also do some basic genjutsu and ninjutsu pretty well...  
It really wasn't fair. She couldn't be in the Chuunin exam, even though she knew she could probably pass. But the village leaders had decided that she shouldn't, since she wasn't even from a Shinobi village. But that didn't stop her from observing Kakashi-sensei's and Gai-sensei's training sessions. She was actually proud of herself for being even a little bit stronger. But what was the point if she couldn't show her strength to anyone?  
She threw another punch, harder than usual since it was filled with frustration. But this time she accidentally hit one of the large stumps. She winced as her knuckles began to throb. She slowly brought them up to her face and examined them. They had turned slightly pink, but almost already stopped hurting. However, she could feel burning tears forming in her eyes. The pain in her hand had long since passed, but she couldn't stop the tears from forming. Soon they were streaming down her face.  
Why? Why was she the only one that couldn't take the exam? She would only grow stronger, but she still wouldn't be able to compete with the authority of Chuunin or Jounin, even Hokage. She would be like a pebble in the middle of a raging river full of strong trout forcing their way upstream. Everyone would surpass her at some point in their lives. Her existence didn't matter, and soon it would be washed away by the current anyways. She would fade away from existence all together. Nothing would be left of her.  
Her shoulders shook as the tears kept flowing. She couldn't stop, no matter how hard she tried. Nothing she did would change, no matter how hard she tried.  
"I know you probably think I'm weak," she said to the silent figure that stood behind her, "And you're probably right." She looked over at Gaara, who had been quietly watching her for a while. He didn't know whether to think of her as weak, or realize that he had longed to cry out so many times before.  
"You," she continued, "You're lucky. Your hate fuels you, it makes you strong. You're able to live in this world because of it. But me... I have no one to hate... And since I can't hate, all I can feel... is pain." She had a sad smile on her face. "That night, when I approached you, I knew who you were, who doesn't? I had been hearing rumors of your brutal killings ever since you had arrived. I was hurting so much... that I was really hoping... that you would kill me..." Gaara's usually emotionless eyes widened.  
"Then, maybe... I would be remembered for something... My existence wouldn't be so... pointless..." She looked at him with those same eyes, but this time he couldn't turn away, and he stared back at her, feeling all the pain from her pour towards him. "I know I shouldn't be telling you this. Even Naruto told me to stay away from you. You're probably the last person I should be talking to right now. But... you're not a monster, because really... you are... you are just like me." Her arms hung at her sides as she spoke softly with a hung head. "It's strange... knowing that someone else may be feeling what you are feeling... Even if they don't show it..." She wiped the tears from her face, then she did something he did not expect. She gave him a warm smile. Only one other person had ever smiled at him before, and she was now dead.  
"I want to... wish you luck for next week. I don't know if you or Sasuke-kun will win... But I know you'll try... Because, well, how else can someone like you prove your reality?" She slowly turned away from him and walked away.  
When she was gone, Gaara couldn't hide the astonishment from his face. Was it possible, that a girl who had talked to him for two minutes, had already read his inner workings? Feelings that everyone else around him had interpreted as hate, she interpreted as loneliness and pain. But the loneliness and pain had been transformed. Transformed into hate. Hate that had turned him... into a monster.  
"Hey, Gaara," Kankuro walked up to him as Gaara put his impassive mask back on, "There you are. I've been looking all over for you. You really shouldn't wander around this village so much." Gaara gave him an annoyed look, then walked away.  
"Geez," Kankuro mumbled, "That guy creeps me out. He'd better not do anything to mess up the plan..."  
  
"Hiya, Sakura!" Kitai greeted her pink haired friend happily, "Ready for tomorrow?"  
"Oh, hey Kitai," responded Sakura. There was something strange about her appearance, like she was worn out or emotionally drained, "Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be. Are you gonna be there?"  
"Yeah, sure. Why not? Besides, we've got some interesting battles set up. Naruto versus Neji, Sasuke versus Gaara, Shino versus Kankuro, and even Shikamaru versus Temari," she counted off each battle on her fingers as she went.  
"Well, yeah... But... Sasuke-kun still hasn't shown up..."  
"Is that why you look so worn out?! Relax! He's with Kakashi-sensei, right? And although Kakashi does have a reputation for being (hours) late, he wouldn't miss Sasuke's fight, and neither would Sasuke."  
"Right..." Sakura gave a weak smile, but Kitai could still see that she was worried.  
"Anyway, how's Lee-san?" said Kitai as she attempted to change the subject.  
"Oh, he's getting better..." Sakura had a sad faraway look in her eyes, "He... really gave it his all... and he still couldn't beat him..." Her clenched fists started to shake slightly. "What if, something like that happens to Sasuke-kun?! What if he has to give up his life as a shinobi?! Or worse, what if he dies?!" All the emotional tension that Sakura had been holding in suddenly broke free. Her body began to shake as tears squeezed out of her eyes. Kitai remained quiet, and just let her cry for a while.  
"Don't worry, Sakura," Kitai gave a reassuring smile, "Sasuke-kun is very strong, and he wouldn't give in easily enough. Besides, this isn't supposed to be a nice, friendly tournament, right? Naruto and Sasuke will both fight to prove their strengths to each other, and to themselves. We just have to trust them." Sakura had finished crying, and was now wiping the tears with her hand. She gave an anxious smile, to say that she understood and knew that.  
"We'll just have to wait and see what happens," Kitai grinned, "And afterwards you have to be there for Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun. Naruto-kun especially, just to keep his head from getting too big." Sakura laughed, then she looked at Kitai sadly.  
"I'm sorry you can't take the exam," she said. For a second Kitai looked disappointed.  
"Nah, I'm over it!" she exclaimed a little too happily, "Besides, I've been thinking about traveling a little."  
"Traveling?"  
"Yeah. I'm not tied down anywhere right now, so why should I stay in one place, right? I'll go see the ocean and visit other countries. It'll be fun." Sakura smiled.  
"It does sound fun. Maybe we'll run into each other again some day?"  
"Probably. Who knows, maybe I'll come visit."  
"Yeah, we'll miss you, Kitai." Sakura had a sad look on her face.  
"Nah, you'll be so busy training that you won't even remember me," beamed Kitai. Sakura nodded as they walked down the street.  
  
Whee! First chapter's done! Read on!!! 


	2. Hello Again!

Chapter 2: Hello again!  
  
"This sucks! Since the whole mission was a failure, no one's trusting us for any other missions anymore!" Temari exclaimed to Kankuro. They were both sitting in their home, finally back to Sand village after the whole fiasco with Orochimaru.  
"And that bastard Orochimaru," said Kankuro through gritted teeth, "He pretended to be our father, and now Kazekage-sama is probably dead..." They both sat silently for a while.  
"Well," sighed Temari, "It's not like we had a very loving or involved father, and our mother died with Gaara's birth. I guess we're finally on our own."  
"Yeah... I guess I can live with that..."  
Gaara listened silently as his siblings discussed what they should do, but soon he got bored and headed outside. He was glad to be back in the desert, although he didn't think he would miss it when he left to the Leaf.  
Everything seemed so different to him, now that the Sand Shuukaku was gone. Naruto proved to him that strength from love was stronger than his strength from hate. He had been trying not to hurt so many people; he had even stopped glaring so much. But, it would still be a while before he could truly reveal himself... to anyone... especially to his brother and sister.  
Gaara jumped up onto the roof of the house and sat down. The sunset looked like a swirl of so many different colors, with one main source in the middle. Really, it was how he felt now. So many different emotions were unfurling within him, that he felt so confused. He really didn't understand half of the things that when through his head now and sometimes considered them too much of a bother. Was getting rid of the Shuukaku really a good thing?  
Gaara closed his eyes. He was looking forward to another night of sleep. Sleep and dreams. He never thought he would ever dream. That was definitely an upside. He slowly drew in the desert air. As he lay motionless, he heard a thump near him, and realized that someone had jumped onto the roof.  
"Hiya!" Kitai exclaimed happily as Gaara jumped back in surprise.  
"You!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!"  
"Well," said Kitai, looking and feeling a bit deflated, "I just felt like leaving Leaf for a while, so I thought I'd come see you. But if you really want me to leave..." She turned to go sadly, and Gaara realized that he actually felt bad for disappointing her.  
"Wait..." Gaara avoided her eyes and looked to the side, "If you really want to... you can sit down." She didn't say anything, and he figured that she would leave. But she actually sat down by him and faced the sunset. They sat in silence for a while as they watched the kaleidoscope of colors before them.  
"You," she said thoughtfully, "You look different..." Gaara looked up at her, clearly showing mild surprise in his face.  
"I know what it is!" she exclaimed, "Your face!" Gaara touched his face, feeling slightly confused, not thinking there was anything different with it.  
"Before," she continued, "you looked like you were wearing a mask. A mask so tense that I thought your face would crack and shatter into a million pieces. But now, it looks so relaxed. Did you get something back that you had lost in your fight with Naruto?" Gaara held in a grin. Once again, she had already figured out what made him tick, just by looking at him.  
"I..." he said slowly, "I guess so. Naruto... he got rid of the demon that was within me."  
"He killed the Shuukaku?" Gaara nodded.  
"Now, I can still control sand, but it's not automatic anymore. I can't tell if I feel weaker... or stronger..." Kitai looked at him thoughtfully. Then she quickly pinched his arm. Gaara gave a small yelp, not being used to feeling pain so instantaneously.  
"Wha...?" he didn't understand why she would hurt him. He looked up at her, and realized that she was smiling.  
"See?" she said grinning, "Not all pain is bad. Some lets you know that you're alive. Since you never felt pain, you resorted to causing others pain. Seeing them in anguish replaced the pain that you would never feel, so it made you feel like you were alive. But really... it was just a lie to yourself. Now, you're gonna have to work for the strength that you took for granted. And it's gonna take sweat and blood. But, I think, it'll be worth it."  
"Sweat and blood?" Gaara looked a little nervous. Kitai looked at him and grinned.  
"Relax!" she laughed, "It's a figure of speech. It just means it'll take a lot of hard work, that's all!" Gaara hid his embarrassment as Kitai shook her head smiling.  
"Well," Kitai looked at the receding sun, "It's getting late. I should go."  
"You're leaving?" Gaara looked up at her as she stood.  
"I've gotta find a place to stay...er... Do you know if there are any inn's in this village?" Kitai scratched the back of her head as perspiration mounted on her forehead.  
"I don't know," Gaara responded simply, "I never really bothered to notice... You know, if you want... um... you can stay here... I mean, we've got a lot of spare rooms... and you wouldn't have to stay at a hotel and pay or anything..." Gaara shrugged as he got up.  
"Well..." A grin slowly spread across her face, "I guess if it's not too much trouble... And if your friends don't mind me imposing or anything..."  
"Friends? Oh, you mean Temari and Kankuro. No, they're my siblings," Gaara turned around, "Come on, I'll show you where you can stay."  
"Siblings?" Kitai muttered to herself as she followed Gaara, "Didn't see that one coming..."  
  
"I'm sorry," Kitai was muttering in her sleep as she turned in bed, "I don't know what to do...Mother... Father..." Her eyes opened slowly, and she realized for the hundredth time, that it was just a dream. She sighed and got up, then realized that she didn't recognize the room she was staying in. No, wait, she remembered. This was the room that Gaara said she could stay in. She was actually surprised at how nice it was. It even had its own bathroom...  
Speaking of which... Kitai got up and used the restroom. When she emerged, she looked around and found a clock. Six thirty. She wondered if Gaara was up yet. She wasn't sure what to do, since Gaara's brother and sister didn't know she was even there. She dressed anyway, then decided to go downstairs to see if anyone was awake.  
She opened her door slowly, then stepped out on tiptoes as she closed it behind her. She sneaked to the stairs, and was about to walk down when she heard a door open in the hall behind her. Pretty soon she was face to face with a very drowsy looking Temari, who had a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.  
Temari squinted a little since sleep still clouded her vision. That wasn't Kankuro... or Gaara... then who was it? Something clicked in her head, and her eyes suddenly opened wide in surprise.  
"Hey!" she yelled as she pointed at Kitai accusingly, "Who the hell are you?! And what are you doing in my house?!" A few awkwardly silent seconds went by as the two girls just stared at each other, Temari's finger still pointed at Kitai. Then another door opened behind them.  
"You!?" Kankuro had stepped out in his pajamas, carrying Karasu with him, "How'd you get in here?!" Kitai waved her hands in front of her, really not wanting to fight either of them, but not knowing what to say.  
"I let her in," Gaara had appeared behind them. Temari and Kankuro looked at him in shock, "She's a friend. I hope it's ok... Do you think she can stay for a while?" Gaara gave his siblings his usual stoic look, as Tamari and Kankuro looked at each other in apparent surprise. Kankuro put down Karasu.  
"Well," Tamari looked at Kitai, then back at Gaara, "I guess it's ok..."  
"Y-yeah," Kankuro followed Tamari's lead, "Um, It's not like we don't have enough room..." Gaara let out a mental sigh of relief as Kitai let out a clearly audible one.  
"Thank you," Kitai bowed, "I promise I won't be too much trouble." Kankuro and Tamari nodded nervously. They never thought their brother would actually invite a friend in (they didn't even know he had any), and then ask permission.  
Everyone stood around for a while. Then Gaara walked passed everyone towards the stairs. Kitai shrugged, then followed him after a final glance at Tamari and Kankuro. Tamari and Kankuro just stood dumbfounded for a while.  
"I'm going back to bed," mumbled Kankuro with a shrug. Tamari yawned, then also stepped back into her room.  
  
"Sorry for the trouble," Kitai said as they both ate breakfast. Gaara shrugged and remained silent. "So what're you gonna do today?"  
"I don't know," Gaara shrugged again.  
"Wel-l-l," Kitai replied thoughtfully, "Don't you usually train?"  
"I...haven't considered it."  
"Shouldn't you be trying to get stronger?" Another shrug from Gaara made Kitai give out an exasperated sigh.  
"There's no one for me to train with..." he responded.  
"Lucky for you," Kitai beamed, "I'm here! Come on!" She nearly flew out of her chair and took Gaara by the wrist. She gently pulled him from his chair.  
"You've gotta get strong," she said enthusiastically, "After all, you are Gaara of the Desert." Gaara let out an almost invisible smile as he let her lead him outside.  
"I don't believe it..." Kankuro muttered as he and Tamari watched the whole episode from the stairs.  
"Hey," Tamari giggled, "She can stay for as long as she wants, as long as she keeps Gaara happy and out of our hair."  
  
"So," Kitai said as she and Gaara were standing by a large cliff, some ways out side the village. "You've gotta work on your defense."  
"My defense?" Gaara looked confused, "But that's the best thing I'm good at."  
"Well, yeah. But before you didn't have to think about protecting yourself, since the sand did it for you. Now you're gonna have to build up the reflexes to actually know when you have to put up a wall of sand." Gaara nodded and Kitai grinned. She bent down and picked up a few stones. "We're gonna do a simple exercise. With the help of some bunshin, I'll surround you and throw some pebbles at you (not too hard, though). You have to try and block as many as you can. Got it?" Gaara nodded again. "Good! Oh, and... er... please don't try to attack me with the sand, ok?" Gaara nodded again as he walked a ways off. "Ok, here we go! Bunshin no jutsu!"  
Ten different Kitai's appeared, all holding a small pile of pebbles. They quickly surrounded Gaara as he prepared himself and the sand around him began to move.  
  



	3. Bad Ramen Men and Nightmares

Chapter 3: Bad Ramen Men and Nightmares  
  
"Man, I'm beat!" Kitai exclaimed as she attempted to regain her breath, "You've gotten so much better that it's unthinkable!" A small grin escaped Gaara as he also tried to catch his breath.  
It had only been a week since Kitai had come to the sand village, but in that time, she had really warmed up to Gaara. Sure, he was a die hard stoic sometimes, but when he did show emotions, he looked like a totally different person. Just like right now.  
"Hey, turn around," Kitai told Gaara. He did so awkwardly. She put her back against his, "Now, sit down." They both slumped down to the ground. "There! Now just lean against my back and I'll lean on yours..." They sat in silence for a while.  
"I feel pretty tired too," said Gaara happily after a short period of silence, "It's weird, though, since I never used to get tired."  
"Welcome to the real world," Kitai grinned, "Anyways, we should head back."  
"But what about training and getting better?"  
"Seven days of training isn't enough for you??"  
"..."  
"Training is good, but if you overdo it you might get hurt," she laughed as she got up. "Come on." She smiled at him and held out her hand. He gladly took it and got up.  
"All right," Gaara silently surrendered, "I guess a break won't be so bad."  
"That's the spirit!" Kitai started marching happily towards the village, "Let's move out!"  
  
Kitai and Gaara stood in a busy street in the village, looking at all the different shops.  
"What should we eat?" asked Gaara.  
"Hmm, how about some ramen?" she replied happily, "It's been a long time since I've had some." They both walked towards the little shop.  
"What kind do you want?" asked Kitai as she walked in. Gaara shrugged. "Plain? Beef? Miso?"  
"... Plain," said Gaara after he thought for a while. Kitai was about to order when the man behind the counter looked up and saw Gaara. He suddenly became paralyzed with terror.  
"Um, sir?" Kitai waved her hand in front of his face, "Hello?"  
"G-Gaara-sama... I didn't think you'd c-come here," he stuttered. Gaara glared at the man with clenched fists. Kitai saw his reaction. She grabbed his wrist to stop him from attacking.  
"Hey!" she yelled at the ramen man as she stood in front of Gaara, "Are you gonna take our orders or not?? What kind of service is this?!"  
"I-I'm sorry!" the man was near hysteria, "What'll you have?"  
"Plain and miso," she muttered, "To go."  
  
A while later Gaara and Kitai were sitting on the roof of Gaara's house. Gaara seemed to have lost his appetite, since he only looked at his ramen. He had his stoic mask back on. Kitai ate slowly in silence.  
"It's so much better here," she said in a near whisper, "It's more peaceful." Gaara nodded, then slurped up a little ramen.  
"I'm sorry..." she really did whisper it this time, "I didn't think people reacted to you like that..." Gaara's eyes moved to the cliffs that surrounded the village.  
"That's how it's always been," he muttered, "They just know me as Gaara the monster." Kitai remained silent for a while as he quietly ate his ramen. He looked at her. "You should have let me kill him."  
"It's strange," she said thoughtfully, "How people can be so strange. They judge others so easily and readily. But, really, if you take away our nationality, family line, or jutsus, we're all just humans. We all have made the same mistakes, and all felt pain, sadness, and happiness. You can't kill or hate someone just because they made a human error."  
"Tell that to them. That's why I never really go into the village, because I always get strange looks from them. They're the ones that act like monsters." His body shook with frustration. He gripped his chopsticks so tightly that they actually snapped. But he didn't notice. He did notice, however, when Kitai put her hand over his clenched fist. He looked up at her in surprise.  
"You don't have to worry about them," she smiled, "Even though we are all humans, we can't deny that we are different. Some people may not accept your differences, so you just have to ignore them. Find people that accept you for who you are, and you'll realize that everyone else's opinion doesn't matter."  
"But," for the first time Kitai heard sadness in his voice, "You're the only person I know... who doesn't call me a monster, or look at me angrily..." Kitai handed him one of her chopsticks.  
"And one's ok!" she smiled happily, "It's the same for me... really." He gingerly took the chopstick and put down the other broken ones. Kitai stuck her single chopstick into her ramen, and actually managed to get some to reach her mouth. She slurped happily, then grinned at Gaara with a full mouth.  
"Yeah," said Gaara as he also stabbed his ramen with his chopstick, "One is enough."  
  
It was a dark night. Someone was walking down the hall silently. They stopped in front of a door, and opened it stealthily. There was a figure sleeping soundly across the room. The door was shut and steps were made towards the bed. A hand reached out menacingly towards Kitai.  
"Kitai, Kitai..." the hand gently shook Kitai awake. She sat up in surprise, and after rubbing her eyes they adjusted to the light, she realized who it was.  
"Oh, Gaara," she said sleepily, "What's wrong?" She could see his worried eyes in the half light.  
"I don't know..." he said, "I had a dream... except... it was bad... I thought... you could help..." He looked at the ground.  
"It's ok, Gaara," smiled Kitai, "It was just a nightmare. People have them all the time."  
"Then... what do they do to feel better? Don't they get scared?" He was still looking at the ground. Kitai smiled warmly. So this was the Gaara without the cool exterior. The Gaara behind the mask.  
"Here," she said as she scooted over on her bed and opened the covers, "Hop in." Gaara looked slightly taken aback.  
"I don't know why," Kitai explained, "But being with others always helps a nightmare pass." Gaara gingerly got into the covers and lay down.  
"Hey!" Kitai laughed, "You're hogging the pillow!"  
"Oh, sorry," said Gaara as he adjusted himself.  
"Here..." She turned to her side, then lay her head on his shoulder, putting her arm on his chest. "There. You make a much better pillow anyways." Gaara had never been this close to another person before...  
"Hey, Kitai?" he asked after a moment of silence.  
"Hmm?" she responded drowsily.  
"Do you have nightmares?"  
"Of course."  
"What... are they about?"  
"My family... and their last days in this world..."  
"Do you miss them?"  
"Yeah, but... not as much as I used to... because I've got you."  
Gaara eyes widened. He looked at her, and realized that she was already sleeping soundly. Did she consider him her precious person? Was it even possible for him to receive love? He could hear what Kitai would say to this question. Hey, anything's possible! A smile crept onto his face so slowly that Gaara didn't notice it until it was already there. He began to feel sleepy, and his eyes slowly closed. Soon they were both quiet with sleep, each visiting their dreams, which were anything but bad.  
  



	4. Have You Ever Felt Love?

Chapter 4: Have you ever felt love?  
  
"Whew! I'm exausted!" Kitai exclaimed one dry afternoon, "And I'm hot! Sheesh, does the desert ever cool off?" The next day she and Gaara had begun training again, and they were both sitting on the dusty ground, taking a short rest after a whole day of exercise.  
"Of course it cools down," responded Gaara with a grin, "But only at night."  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. If you ask me, the desert is highly inconvenient." Kitai stuck her nose in the air, playfully acting like a snob. Gaara felt a funny feeling in his stomach, and before he realized it, he was laughing out loud. Kitai looked at him curiously at first, but then also started laughing with him.  
"Hey," she said as he settled down, "That's the first time you've actually laughed at one of my jokes." Gaara scratched the top of his head gingerly, also realizing the strange truth.  
"You know," she continued, "You should laugh more often. It sounds good." Gaara grinned happily. Every time Kitai was around, he didn't worry about wearing a mask. "Not only that, but a smile looks good on you too! Not like me, because with me it's like this..." She stuck two fingers in her mouth and stretched it to the sides, then crossed her eyes so she looked like a crazed, blue eyed, black haired toad. She and Gaara began to laugh again.  
"But seriously," giggled Kitai as she lay back on the ground, "I really am thirsty. And hot."  
"I think we may have gone out a little farther than usual," said Gaara as he got up.  
"Oh, great," muttered Kitai. She also got up, and realized he wasn't kidding. The roofs of the village were barely visible. Kitai had been so absorbed in her sparring with Gaara that she didn't realize how far they'd gone. She sighed audibly.  
"Hey, what's that?" Gaara pointed behind Kitai. She turned around and saw that he was pointing to what looked like a few clumps of trees.  
"Trees? In the desert??" exclaimed Kitai.  
"It looks like an oasis," answered Gaara.  
"Then that means that there's probably water!! Whee! Come on!" She started running towards the out-of-place clump of trees as Gaara hurried to follow her. "Ha! Slow poke!" She stuck out her tongue at him as he gained speed.  
Gaara sprinted into the trees as Kitai followed closely behind. They both leaned against the trees as they regained their breath.  
"Oh, fine," gasped Kitai, "I guess you win..." Gaara grinned even wider than usual.  
"Ahhh!" Kitai sighed, "How beautiful!" A large, clear pool of water sat in the middle of the high palm trees. Rough grass surrounded the pool with a few wild flowers sticking out here and there. Kitai ran to the pool and started drinking thirstily out of cupped hands. Gaara followed and also drank some water.  
"This is nice..." said Kitai as she plopped down on the grass by the water. "We should come here more often." She lay down comfortably.  
"Yeah," agreed Gaara as he lay down by her.  
"Oooh, it's still too hot, though," she said as she got up. "And I know the perfect remedy." She threw off her shoes, her few kunai and shuriken, and then the top layer of clothes so that she was left with an under shirt and shorts. Gaara tried to avoid looking at her while she undressed, unsure of what she was going to do.  
"Hey, come on," she said happily when she was done, "Aren't you gonna jump in?"  
"Jump in where?" he asked, truly confused.  
"In the pool, of course! Where else?!"  
"Um, well, I don't know how to swim..." He looked at the water, deciding that he didn't trust it all that much.  
"You have got to be kidding!" Kitai exclaimed. She hunched down to his height. "I guess I'll have to teach you. Not only is it a necessary shinobi skill, but it's fun too!"  
"Um..."  
"Get undressed; just leave your pants on."  
A little while later, Gaara had finally stripped himself down to his pants. He looked around nervously since he had never been this exposed in front of another.  
"Aww, don't be shy, Gaara," grinned Kitai. "This'll be fun, I promise." She stretched out her hand and he tentatively took it. She pulled him to the water's edge and began walking in. He slowly stepped into the water, walking along the floor of the pool until he was in waist deep water.  
"Okay," said Kitai, "First of all, you've gotta trust the water."  
"Trust the water?" Gaara asked with doubt and sarcasm.  
"Hey, don't use a tone with me, young man. Yeah, trust the water. If you splash around all wildly, not only will you tire yourself out and not accomplish anything, but you'll sink like a rock." Perspiration mounted on Gaara's head, although Kitai didn't notice. "You've seen birds fly, right? They have to flap their wings to stay in the air, and you have to keep moving your arms and legs to stay afloat. Also, always have air in your lungs, that way you'll never sink. Okay?" Gaara nodded as Kitai grinned at him.  
She took both his hands and slowly led him to the deeper part of the water. Soon the water reached their chins.  
"I'm gonna let go now," she said as she loosened her grip on his hands, "Just move your feet and hands, like this..." She moved her hands around her body, then paddled with her feet so that she was actually floating. Gaara copied her, and was amazed with the strange sensation. He couldn't help beaming as he followed Kitai into the center of the pool.  
After a few more lessons and words of wisdom, Gaara felt completely at home in the water. He and Kitai had even ventured under water, to find different types of strange algae living in the pool. They were enjoying themselves so much that they didn't notice the growing shadows. For the first time, Gaara decided it was time to get out.  
"It's growing late, we should dry off," he told Kitai as she floated on her back. She quickly resumed the doggie paddle.  
"Aww, do we have to?" she gave an over dramatic puppy dog pout. Gaara suppressed a laugh as he turned away.  
"Laugh if you will," she said ominously, "But you will pay." Gaara shook his head happily as he headed for the shore. He walked onto the bank to where their clothes were, then turned around to face Kitai. Instead, he got a blast of water right in his face. His eyes were wide with amazement as Kitai laughed hysterically.  
"Told you!" she laughed as she wiped the tears from her face. Gaara grinned malevolently. A second later Kitai was on top of a wave of sand, being thrown back into the pool. This time Gaara was the one that was laughing as Kitai emerged on the surface of the water, looking slightly peeved.  
"Ho ho, Mr. Sandman," she said as she walked back towards Gaara, "Very clever." However, she couldn't suppress a grin as she sat down, waiting to dry. They both sat in silence, looking at the different blends of colors in the sky.  
"I remember..." she said dreamily, "how my family and I always used to go swimming..." Gaara looked at her. He had never heard her speak of her family, except for the night before. "After hours of swimming, we would dry out on the bank, looking for different animals in the clouds... This is the first time that I've gone swimming... since they passed away..."  
"Kitai... could I ask you something?" Gaara asked.  
"Yeah, sure," Kitai suddenly snapped out of her reminiscence.  
"Have you... ever felt love?" Kitai looked at him with a surprised look on her face.  
"Of course... haven't you?" Gaara shook his head sadly.  
"Could you... tell me what it's like?" Kitai smiled sadly at him.  
"Well, love is... that funny feeling in the pit of your gut you get whenever you look at someone. It's strange, but really familiar at the same time. When you look at your loved ones, you feel... like you're home. When you're with them, you know you can act however you want... because they truly accept you."  
"It sounds confusing... I can't tell if I've ever felt it..."  
"I'm sure you will... And it is confusing. There are different types of love. The worst kind is the love that you don't realize is there... so when you lose your love... it hurts so much..." Kitai's face looked so sad as she gazed at the sky.  
"Did you... not realize you loved your family?" Kitai shook her head slightly.  
"I'd always get in fights with my older sister... and my little brother acted like such a pain sometimes. I'd even fight with my parents sometimes... I wonder... if they know how much I love them... how much I miss them..." In the yellow light, a golden tear ran down her face from her crystal blue eyes. Gaara didn't realize love was so painful.  
"So, you still love them?"  
"Of course," Kitai's voice shook slightly as more golden tears ran down her face.  
"Then, if it was that strong... then I'm sure they know that you love them." Kitai didn't expect that response from Gaara. She looked up at him, and saw that he was smiling reassuringly. "I didn't think love was that strong."  
"You've got a lot to learn, kid," laughed Kitai as she dried her tears. "Well, I think I'm dry, and it's getting cold."  
"Yeah, let's go," Gaara said as he began to dress.  
"Gaara?" Kitai asked timidly. Gaara looked at her expectantly. "Thanks." He was surprised, but he smiled at her. Maybe, just like Yashamaru said, his heart was healing...  
  



	5. A New Mission

Chapter 5: A New Mission  
  
A loud knock on the door the next morning woke everyone up at the same time. Temari ran down to the door and opened it.  
"Hey," Temari's old sensei was standing at the door. "Tell Gaara he has to go see Kazekage-sama as soon as he wakes up." Temari nodded perplexedly, then slowly closed the door.  
The rest of the household walked down the stairs and looked at Temari expectantly.  
"Gaara," she said, "You have to go see the Kazekage soon." Gaara didn't expect this, but he nodded. He looked at Kitai, and saw that she looked worried.  
"What's wrong?" he asked her.  
"That guy," she said as she knit her eyebrows together, "He gave me a bad feeling."  
"You're probably imagining it," he shrugged as he sat down to eat breakfast. But Kitai still didn't look very reassured.  
  
Half an hour later Gaara was standing in front of the new Kazekage in his office.  
"Gaara," Kazekage said. There was something strange about him. "I have a mission for you." Gaara didn't answer. "You are a Chuunin now, and I've given you enough time to recuperate from you battle at the Konoha. Either way, this is a simple mission. You have to go north east and meet up with one of our shinobi's on the border. Here is a detailed plan of your mission." He handed Gaara a scroll. "Memorize it and destroy it. Also, note that this is a mission for you alone. You can not take any other shinobi with you." Gaara nodded. "That's all. You're excused."  
Gaara left the office a little while later, reading the scroll. He walked out onto the street.  
"Hiya!" said a voice behind him. Gaara turned around and saw Kitai standing by the door.  
"Kitai, what are you doing here?" he asked.  
"It's hard to train by yourself, so there's no point in going out if you're not around, right?" Gaara shrugged.  
"Well, let's go. I have to leave as soon as possible."  
"Right..."  
Kitai started following Gaara when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and looked up onto a balcony. There stood the Kazekage with another shinobi. She didn't like the feeling that she got as she looked at them.  
"Kitai?" Gaara was waiting for her.  
"I'm coming!" she hurried to catch up to him.  
"So that's the girl," said the Kazekage to the man beside him, "that's been rumored to have gained Gaara's trust."  
"Yes sir," responded the man, "Ever since she showed up, there haven't been any Gaara-related deaths. Is it possible that she managed to pacify him?"  
"Nonsense," spat the Kazekage, "That boy is a monster that will only grow stronger. I will not make the same mistake as my predecessor, and let him live."  
  
"So," Kitai was sitting on Gaara's bed, watching him pack the few things that he needed, "How long are you gonna be gone?"  
"I don't know," he responded, "Probably a week or so." Kitai sighed.  
"Are you sure I can't come with?"  
"My mission statement says I can't have any other shinobi with me."  
"Shinobi, huh? Well, what if a regular villager happened to tag along?" Gaara looked at her inquisitively. "'Cause you know, that I'm not a shinobi. I only lived in the Leaf for a while."  
"Well..." Gaara scratched the back of his head.  
"Or is it because you want to get away from me for a while?"  
"You know it's not that."  
"Then what is it?" Gaara sighed.  
"All right, you can come. Just meet me at the gate, ok?" Kitai beamed.  
"Yes! Score one for Kitai!" She walked out of the room happily. Maybe having her tag along would make this trip better...  
  
Kitai rocked on her heels happily as she waited at the gate for Gaara. She hummed a song that she had learned in her village, then she sang the chorus out loud.  
"What're you doing?" Gaara had arrived and looked at her as he hid his amusement.  
"Me? Oh-h-h, nothin'..." she grinned. "Ready?"  
"Yeah, let's go."  
"I see you've got your gourd again," she said as they started walking.  
"Well, I can't do very many attacks if there isn't any sand around, right?"  
"Right, right." She kept humming as she playfully marched forward.  
"You're in a good mood."  
"I'm always in a good mood when I'm traveling! Seeing new places, trying new things... It's always so much fun!"  
"But we're on a mission, remember?"  
"No, you're on the mission. Besides: traveling, mission, same dif." Gaara grinned, thinking how short this trip would seem with her around.  
  
"Fish, fish," Kitai sang as she slowly turned them while they roasted on the fire. She seemed so happy that Gaara was glad that she came along. Any strange looks they would receive just bounced off her, and with that, Gaara couldn't help feeling more optimistic every time they entered a village.  
"Yours is done," she said as she handed him a fish.  
"Thanks," he took it and waited for it to cool off. Meanwhile she took a bite out of hers, and only succeeded to burn her tongue.  
"Ow! Oh!" She blew air, trying to cool off her tongue. Then she smiled at him as she began to chew. Gaara just shook his head and grinned, like he always did. He knew that she did most of her stunts just to try and keep him happy. She always said that he looked better when he was smiling...  
"We should be able to reach our destination by tomorrow afternoon," he said after he chewed some of his fish.  
"That's great!" she responded cheerfully, "And Gaara-kun will be considered a man, since he finished his first ever Chuunin level mission." Gaara chuckled, but his face became a little sadder.  
"I doubt anything will change..." he said. Kitai suddenly grew seriously quiet.  
"Oh well," she replied boldly, "Tell them to do the world a favor and jump off a cliff. Besides... to me, Gaara-kun is already a man." She grinned at him, and he grinned back. He felt lighter with her around. Like if even if the world hated him, he'd still be happy with just her...  
Kitai had finished her fish, and was now yawning loudly.  
"Fish always tastes better," she said as she poked the fire, "when it's roasted on a stick and you're eating it with a friend." Gaara stopped mid-bite.  
"So," he asked, "Does that mean I'm your friend?" Kitai looked at him as if he had gone crazy. Gaara didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer.  
"Of course you're my friend!" she laughed, "I wouldn't be here if you weren't. Really Gaara, you need to use more common sense." Gaara gave a small, sheepish grin.  
He looked up to the sky. A breathtaking full moon hung in the corner of the world. A few weeks earlier and Gaara would've been sitting somewhere... hoping someone would come near him... just to kill them...  
But it was strange. Gaara had met Kitai on a full moon, the time when he was most blood thirsty, but he wasn't able to kill her. Well, whatever stopped him, he was glad it did...  
"Hello, Gaara, you in there?" Kitai was saying playfully. He suddenly realized where he was and looked at her, "There you are! You were really lost in thought there, weren't you? Anyways, I'm tired we should sleep." Gaara nodded in agreement and quickly finished his fish. He tossed it in the fire. He arched his arm and sand from the riverbank flew over and smothered the fire instantly.  
Meanwhile, Kitai was clearing some brush from under a tree. She sat down when it was all cleared. Gaara went over and joined her. He put the gourd down nearby then sat down by her and reclined on the tree. She lay her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.  
"Goodnight, Gaara," she said sleepily.  
"Goodnight," he responded softly. With one last look at the moon, he closed his eyes, and fell asleep...  
  



	6. Nightmare

Chapter 6: Nightmare  
  
Where am I? Gaara stood on a flat, reflective ground that seemed to stretch out forever. The sky was an eerie blood-like red. He looked at the floor and saw a perfect reflection of himself, except that it was red. As he looked his reflection's eyes started to widen hysterically. A malicious grin spread across its face.  
  
Monnnstterrr...  
  
It had a strange, echo-like voice that made Gaara cringe. He tore his eyes from the ground and looked up. What seemed like a hundred people were suddenly before him. He recognized his father and siblings at the head of the crowd. They all had fierce glares as they looked at him.  
  
Monnnstterrr...  
  
...They all hissed. Gaara was suddenly terrified at being with them. He turned and ran as fast as he could, looking behind him and watching them all shrink in the distance. He looked forward and saw someone standing before him. He stopped, and realized it was Yashamaru. She looked at him warmly, and Gaara felt relief spread over him. She walked up to him, her hands outstretched, and held his head in them. She gave him a look of maternal warmth. He smiled happily. But then her grip tightened, and a manic gleam appeared in her eyes. She grit her teeth as her eyes got wider. Her grip was so tight that Gaara was sure she would puncture his skin. He knocked away her arms and ran away from her.  
  
Gaara-sama! You will never be loved!  
  
Gaara kept running until another figure appeared before him. He saw that it was Kitai, standing with her back towards him. He stopped, and slowly reached towards her. He turned her around slowly. Kitai looked at him with eyes full of terror. She screamed so loud that it hurt his ears and he had to cover them. 'Kitai, why...?' he tried to yell, but his voice was gone.  
  
You did it! You killed my family! You caused my pain!  
  
...She screeched at him as tears of blood ran down her face. Since Gaara couldn't speak, he shook his head frantically.  
  
Yes you did! Because you're a monster! A monster of death! A monster that brings pain!  
  
Everyone he had run away from suddenly appeared again. They all had red eyes as they started laughing at him. He couldn't take it... they had to stop. He shut his eyes tightly. Then, everything was quiet. He opened his eyes slowly, and realized that they were all gone. Everyone except Kitai, who was on the floor. He ran to her and turned her over, only to realize with horror that she had been horribly mauled to death. He dropped her and stood up. Even though he couldn't hear his yells, he still screamed for the murderer to come forth. He heard a deep laugh echo into his ears, but no one was near him.  
  
Down here.  
  
He looked down to the ground and was horror struck to see that his reflection had turned into the demonic Shuukaku, a red moon floating by its ear.  
  
It was you.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!" Gaara's eyes snapped open.  
"Gaara! Gaara!" Kitai was grabbing him on the shoulders. Apparently she had been trying to shake him awake. Her face was wet with tears and full of relief when she saw that he was awake. He looked at her, then the image of her mauled body came into his mind. He pushed her away and she fell back on the ground. More tears ran down her face as he gasped for air.  
"It was all a dream," Kitai told him sadly, "It's ok... you're awake now. You're safe." He looked at her again, but he couldn't get the image of her death out of his mind.  
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he gasped as he clutched his chest. For the second time in his life, tears started streaming down his face. He closed his eyes to try and stop them. Was he destined to kill her? Would the Shuukaku force him to do it? Did the Shuukaku force him, or did he do it on his own?  
Kitai looked at him sadly. She stood up and slowly went towards him. She put an arm around him and his eyes opened in surprise. Tears were still flowing down her face as she buried her face in his neck and wrapped her other arm around him. Gaara calmed down. The feeling of her body against his, her breath on his neck, made him realize that she was still alive... still here... 


	7. The True Gaara

Chapter 7: The True Gaara  
  
It was mid-afternoon as Gaara and Kitai walked in silence. Neither had spoken much since the morning. Yashamaru's words, Kitai's screeches, the Shuukaku's growl, all had been ringing in his head all day.  
"We're almost there," he muttered after he checked a small map. Kitai nodded in reply.  
They stepped through the forest silently. Gaara thought about their location, and figured that they only needed to go a few more meters until the rendezvous point. They cleared the forest, and were suddenly in a large plain. The wind blew towards them peacefully as the grass swayed.  
Something clicked in the back of Gaara's head. He grabbed Kitai's hand and jumped out of the way just as the shuriken struck the ground where they were standing a few seconds ago. Gaara pushed Kitai behind him as the nins emerged from the foliage.  
"So it is true that Gaara-sama is strong." Eight nins stepped out.  
"They're...!" gasped Kitai. She didn't have to finish. The Sand village forehead protectors shown clearly in the afternoon sun. She recognized one as the man that was standing by the Kazekage that day...  
"What...?" Why were people from his own village attacking him?  
"We were ordered by Kazekage-sama to eliminate you," one answered him. "Your mission was just to lure you here."  
"You have tainted the name of the Sand long enough," said another. "you monster." Gaara clenched his fists. All eight attacked at once, but the sand poured out of his gourd and created a wall in front of them. He went for the one at the far right.  
"Suna Shuriken!" he yelled. But the shuriken missed their target. Too slow. Another Jounin came for him on the side, kicked him, and sent him flying into the forest.  
"Gaara!" yelled Kitai.  
"Hmph," snorted one, "You're just a punk without that Shuukaku. Let's finish this quickly." The other's nodded and took out various weapons. Gaara torpedoed out of the forest.  
"Suna Shuriken!" he yelled again, but missed them again. The Jounin quickly hit him with various kunai and shuriken, but Gaara just turned to sand.  
"Suna bunshin no jutsu," muttered one. They all looked around for the real Gaara. Suddenly one Jounin was swallowed up by a wave of sand that came out of the ground under him. He was instantly crushed to death.  
"Damn," a Jounin muttered. Then he grinned maliciously, "I know how to get him out." He threw some shuriken at Kitai. Kitai was taken by surprise and didn't have time to jump. But before they hit, a wall of sand flew out of the forest, stopping the shuriken just in time.  
"Over there!" All the Jounin threw kunai to the area where the wall had come from. Gaara leaped out of the way, but not fast enough to dodge some kunai. One hit his left leg and he winced.  
"Got you," laughed a Jounin. Kunai were thrown precisely when Gaara landed, he didn't even have time to form a wall. He prepared for the worst.  
Seconds later, Gaara was still alive. He looked in shock at Kitai, who was standing above him. Blood flowed out of the wounds in her back.  
"H-hey," she grinned, "You've just begun to live... How can you d-die now?" Gaara's eyes were wide with horror as she collapsed onto him. He quickly pulled out all the kunai in her back. She winced with pain.  
"M-make them run in terror," she whispered. "Gaara of the Desert..."  
The Jounin watched in amazement. Why would a girl protect this monster?  
"What're you all standing around for?" yelled the leader. "Get him! He's down!" All the Jounin used their specialty jutsus at once, making a huge blast towards Gaara. A huge explosion followed. They watched in anticipation for the dust to clear. But, shockingly, a round wall of sand remained amidst the blown away earth. As the wall fell, Gaara's face became visible. His eyes were full of rage... and bloodlust.  
The Jounin that became paralyzed by his eyes quickly died in Gaara's desert coffins. The remaining Jounins attacked him straight on. Gaara's speed had increased tenfold, and he merely headed off each one before they were halfway across the grass. The sand formed deadly spikes that were rammed through each body. Now, only the leader was left.  
Gaara looked up, his face spattered with the blood from the Jounins. A manic grin on his face. The leader was shaking with fear, and he turned to run. But Gaara caught him with his Desert Coffin. However, instead of killing him right away, Gaara was crushing him slowly, savoring each sound of shattering bones.  
Kitai watched as Gaara brutally killed each of the Jounin. Fighting for his life was understandable... But... the look on his face... a look of pure pleasure... Was what frightened her the most...  
Was this the Gaara she had known for the past two weeks? Had he been secretly wishing for a body to crush, every time he had smiled? No, it couldn't be...  
Gaara was taking his time with the last one. His hand was extended before him, in a claw like shape. She couldn't let him do this. She couldn't let him turn into the monster everyone had accused him of being...  
"Gaara!" Kitai ran towards him, "Stop it! You've won!" She grabbed his arm and tried to force it down. But Gaara's grin just got wider. He quickly clenched his fist, sealing the man's life. "Gaara!" He looked at her... But it wasn't Gaara...  
He punched her and she flew back with the force. She landed on the ground. Gaara approached her, still grinning maniacally. He held up his hand again, and sand surrounded Kitai.  
"Gaara! Please stop!" she pleaded. "Please!" But the sand started creeping up her. She couldn't stop it... she wouldn't stop it...  
She hung her arms down in defeat. Would he really kill her? Would she die at the hands of the person she...  
The sand was getting tighter and the air was forced out of her lungs. Just before it covered her face, she looked at Gaara in the eye... a final look as everything got dark... at the person most precious...  
Gaara saw her eyes. Those blue eyes. Then he remembered... She was the one that had looked at him with those sad eyes on the roof that night... the one that had actually bothered to come and see him... the one who had made him laugh...  
Something in his chest suddenly hurt so much. He dropped his hand and the sand around Kitai dissolved.  
It was you.  
No. It wasn't. How could he? He would never hurt her... would he? He looked up, and saw that she was lying on the ground, completely motionless. He ran to her and kneeled beside her. A wave of relief rushed through him. She was still breathing. Maybe he could undue this...  
"I knew those Jounin would be no match for you."  
Gaara heard a voice. He looked behind him to see... a Hunter Nin? The hunter didn't look much older than him, although it was hard to tell because of the mask.  
"So, you actually stopped yourself in time," he said matter of factly. If Gaara had to fight him now, he knew he would lose... He rested Kitai's head on his lap, determined to protect her...  
"Well," the hunter continued, "It looks like she still has a chance. I'll give you one day to take care of the girl. It's not like I'm in a hurry anyway..." Gaara was shocked. This hunter would actually give him a chance to save Kitai. "I don't want any distractions when I fight you. I'll come looking for you tomorrow, and I will find you. Then, there will be no mercy." He disappeared into the forest, leaving Gaara alone with the agonizing Kitai. 


	8. Pain

Chapter 8: Pain  
  
Gaara sat in a chair by her bed, late at night. He watched her chest slowly rise and fall with each breath. She looked so strange, with the oxygen mask and that sad look on her face...  
"Well," the doctor had told him, "It's a good thing you got here fast enough. She's pretty roughed up. Four broken ribs, her right arm is broken in three areas, and wounds all over her back. Not to mention the severe bruising all over her body. As far as we can tell, she doesn't have brain damage from lack of oxygen, but we can't be sure until she's awake. Luckily, her legs are fine, so if she doesn't have brain damage, she'll walk out of here pretty soon..."  
Gaara had winced at the list of injuries, most of which he had caused. If he hadn't stopped, Kitai wouldn't be sleeping here before him, but would probably be a pile of broken bones drenched in blood...  
How could he ever think there could be someone precious to him? It was obvious that he was a danger to everyone around him. If Kitai stayed with him, he would only end up hurting her more...  
  
"Oh, you poor boy," said a nurse the next morning, "Have you been here all night?" Gaara nodded slowly. "Did you sleep at all?" Gaara shook his head slowly. He was used to it. Just another sleepless night after twelve years of long nights.  
"Oh, you really shouldn't exhaust yourself so much..." the nurse looked at Kitai, "She must be a very lucky girl to have someone as devoted as you." Gaara couldn't answer.  
He stared silently at Kitai as the nurse bustled around and recorded readings. Gaara would give up everything to have her back to normal... He closed his eyes in frustration at himself...  
"Oh! Dear, you really shouldn't try to move!" the nurse exclaimed. Gaara's eyes snapped open. Kitai's eyes were open too. Gaara stood up and walked to her slowly. Kitai turned slightly and looked at him, but, instead of being her usual cheery blue eyes, her eyes were full of fear and sadness. Gaara stopped mid-step.  
"Sorry, but you're gonna have to step outside," the nurse ushered him out as she called for a doctor. Gaara stood outside the room, her eyes imprinted in his mind. He could see, just from the look she gave him, that she was now truly scared of him... and the monster within him...  
"Son, hello?" the doctor was speaking to him. Gaara quickly gathered his thoughts. "Well, good news: she doesn't have any brain damage. In fact, we're moving her down to the Recovery Wing, since she won't need so much equipment anymore." A few nurses pushed Kitai out the room in a rolling bed. Gaara noticed how she avoided his eyes.  
"You can go see her once we're finished putting casts on," said the doctor as he walked away. So, he really was an abomination... even to Kitai.  
  
"Okay, you can see her now. She's conscious, and should be able to talk just fine," the doctor left Kitai's room, leaving Gaara at the door. He slowly walked in. Kitai was not connected to any machines anymore, and she was quietly looking out the window. She didn't even turn her head as he came in.  
"Kitai?" he asked softly. She still didn't look at him, "How... how are you feeling?" Still no answer. He didn't realize silence gave such a strong impression.  
"Does it hurt... a lot?" Kitai turned away from the window and hung her head. Her eyes were closed tightly. "I-I'm so sorry..." She still didn't look at him.  
"I understand..." he turned around, resting the palms of his hands on her bed, "If you want to hate me..." Kitai looked at him. She couldn't see his face, since his back was turned toward her. "I understand... why the village, you, everyone else... would be afraid... of this monster." His body shook and he gripped the sheets tightly. A few tears squeezed out of his eyes, although she couldn't see them.  
"There's a Hunter Nin after me..." he continued, "He gave me a day to take care of you. This afternoon, I'll go face him... You should head back to the village... You'll be happier without me..." He walked out of the room.  
Kitai didn't know whether to hate him or call after him. She sat in silence for so long, unsure of everything as she stared at the door.  
"Oh, did your friend leave already?" asked the nurse as she walked in, "I'm sure he'll be back soon. He seemed like a very nice boy." Kitai closed her eyes. A single tear squeezed out.  
  
"It's lunch time!" the nurse chimed as she stepped through the door. "I hope you like... Oh!" Kitai's bed was empty. Her clothes that had been in the corner were gone. "She left? But how?" 


	9. A Reason to Die

Chapter 9: A Reason to Die  
  
Kitai walked out onto the plain, clearly out of breath. Three shuriken landed at her feet. She looked up and saw the Hunter Nin sitting in a tree.  
"Girls like you should stay in bed," he said after looking at her.  
"I need to ask you a favor," she said.  
"I don't do favors," he responded indifferently. Kitai didn't move. "You'd better get out of here before that 'friend' of yours gets back, or else I'll have to kill you too."  
"I'm not leaving until you hear me out."  
  
It was two o clock when Gaara stepped out onto the plain. He figured that this would be the best place to find the Hunter Nin.  
"I'm surprised you came," the hunter was standing in a tree, "I thought you'd run away."  
"I won't run from death," responded Gaara listlessly, "Not when I've cause death and pain to so many others." The hunter was silent for a moment. He jumped down in front of Gaara.  
"Are you ready to face me, then?" he asked. Gaara nodded and faced him. The hunter flew forward, suddenly appeared in front of Gaara, then hit him square in the stomach. Gaara flew back and hit a tree... hard. He coughed up blood.  
"You're not even trying," said the hunter, sounding very bored.  
"What's the point," Gaara replied as he stood up, "of trying to live, when you have no reason to live."  
"I thought that Gaara of the Desert lived for the sole purpose of killing others."  
"Yeah... I did. Until someone showed me that I was just lying to myself."  
"Then, shouldn't you live for that person?"  
"I can't... she's gone. So, I'll die for her." Gaara charged the hunter, creating sand clones of himself. They all attacked the hunter, but the hunter easily dodged. He quickly eliminated all of the bunshin, leaving only Gaara. Gaara tried to punch him, but the hunter caught his hand. He tried again, but the hunter caught his other hand the same way.  
"You know," the hunter said as they stood off, "Love has really made you weak... and pathetic."  
"I guess," replied Gaara with a grin, "Or, maybe it made me strong enough to be able to give up my life for her."  
  
"Please, I want you to spare him."  
"Why should I do that?"  
"Because... I don't want him to die... I guess... I love him..."  
"You love him? He's killed hundreds, you know that? And he never gave any of them any mercy, or second thought."  
  
The hunter threw off Gaara, sending him into a bush. Gaara got up painfully.  
"Without me," he said as he clutched a pain in his side, "She can live happily. That's what my death can give her."  
  
"I...I know that. But... he's different now... I just wish more people could see that..."  
  
"So, you really think you're strong enough to die?" he asked cruelly.  
"Yeah..." Gaara grinned.  
"Fine," said the Hunter. He armed himself with needles, "I guess, as a parting gift, I'll let you give the girl happiness." He prepared to shoot.  
"No!" Kitai jumped in front of Gaara. "Hey, idiot Hunter, you have to get through me first."  
"Kitai, what're you doing?" Gaara asked in astonishment. "I told you to leave! Get out of here before he decides to kill you too!"  
"You've got a lot to learn, kid," Kitai looked at him, grinning broadly, "How can I be happy when the only precious person in my life... the one I love... is dead?" Gaara didn't answer. "That's what I thought when I first lost my family... but then I met you... If all else fails, we can go to heaven or hell together..." Gaara's face fell. "Hey, I'll introduce you to them."  
"You can't die! Not here! How can I face them if you do?!" he yelled at her. But she wasn't listening. She charged the hunter. She tried punching him, even with her broken arm, but he kept dodging. She kicked him and actually hit him on the side. However, she spat out blood as pain shot through her chest.  
"Foolish girl," said the hunter, "You're hurting yourself more than you're hurting me." He grabbed her foot that was still connected to his side, and casually threw her to the side. She coughed up more blood as she hit the ground. She tried to get up, but only collapsed. She lay in pain as Gaara watched her in horror.  
"You'll pay!" he yelled as he charged the hunter. Although Gaara's skill improved with anger, he still was no match for the hunter. Another swift punch sent him skidding across the ground. He landed by Kitai.  
"I can't beat him..." muttered Gaara as he sat up. "I'm sorry, Kitai..."  
"Who're you apologizing to?" Kitai was struggling to sit up. She looked at Gaara happily then she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I'd rather die here with you than in a hundred years. I should be thanking you." Tears formed in Gaara's eyes. He slowly wrapped his arms around Kitai. The first time he had ever held someone...  
"If you're gonna kill us," Gaara looked at the hunter in the eye, "You'd better do it now." The hunter remained motionless. He slowly drew out his needles. Gaara closed his eyes and grinned. Dying while holding the person he loved wouldn't be so bad...  
Gaara heard needles whiz past his ear. A small cut appeared on his cheek. The hunter turned his back towards them.  
"I have killed Gaara of the Desert," he said as he walked away, "I suggest you get out of the Sand country." He disappeared into the forest.  
"He..." laughed Kitai, "really isn't that bad..." Gaara also laughed in relief and happiness. The pain in her chest got stronger, and she blacked out. As she left consciousness, she could hear Gaara's voice calling her name... 


	10. What's a Kiss?

Chapter 10: What's a Kiss?  
  
A slight breezed ruffled Kitai's hair. She lay comfortably, savoring the fresh wind on her face. Where was she? She opened her eyes slowly. At her side, stood Gaara, grinning happily although there was a bandage on his cheek.  
"Where are we?" Kitai groaned. She looked at Gaara, and realized he was in a hospital gown. She looked beyond him and saw a messy bed.  
"Back in the hospital," he shrugged happily. "How're you feeling."  
"Like a rock... I can't move my arms..." Gaara grinned again.  
"Yeah, me too..."  
"Did they drug us or something?"  
"Probably..." Kitai grinned. She hadn't felt so happy in a long time. She slid to the side of her bed, making room for Gaara. He gladly got in the sheets, taking care to not hit her arm.  
"We're really alive..." she whispered as she lay her head on his shoulder.  
"Yeah... we're alive..." He leaned his head against hers as his eyes began to slowly close...  
  
"Ahh! Did I mention I love traveling?" Kitai sighed as she stretched her arm happily. She would raise both arms in the air, but her right one was in a sling.  
"Yeah, I think so," grinned Gaara. They were both starting down a road that, according to the doctor, led to the border. "Come on, we should hurry." He began to walk down it. Kitai smiled and followed him.  
"Are you sure you're ok with leaving?" she asked as she evened her pace with him.  
"Yeah, we don't have much of a choice. Anyways," he stopped walking, "home is anywhere as long as you're with me." Kitai grinned and took his hand with her good arm.  
"Hey, Kitai," he said, "I've been meaning to ask you something."  
"Yeah, sure, what is it?" she responded happily.  
"What do people usually do, when they love each other?" Kitai looked at him incredulously, and realized he wasn't kidding.  
"Well..." she said as her face turned pink, "They... um... they usually kiss..." Gaara looked at her expectantly, then looked confused when she didn't continue.  
"What's... a kiss?" Kitai nearly fell over in disbelief.  
"You-you mean you really don't know??" Gaara shook his head cluelessly as Kitai's face turned even redder.  
"Um... well... um..." she stuttered, "Do-do you want me to show you?" Gaara shrugged. He was starting to think it might be painful or something...  
"O-okay," she said as she faced him. "Just do what I do..." She looked at him, then leaned her head towards him. She was getting closer and closer as Gaara just stood still. He could now probably count her eyelashes if he wanted to. Then, her lips connected with his, and Gaara felt a strange feeling work its way up from his toes to his head. She leaned back again and gave a shy smile.  
"So, that's a kiss?" he asked in amazement.  
"Y-yeah," Kitai's face was still red, "Although there are different kinds."  
"Like different kinds of love?"  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. When you love a relative or your child, you kiss them like this..." she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "The kiss I gave you is... um... a light kiss used by lovers. There is another kind that... er... shows more, um, feeling..." Kitai's face was nearly on fire.  
"Well, can you show me that one too?" Gaara asked indifferently. Now Kitai's face really was on fire. She put her hand on her cheek and turned her back towards him.  
"In all my life..." she muttered just audibly enough for him to hear her, "I never thought I would be teaching someone how to kiss..." She turned back towards him. "Well... If you... er... really want to know." Gaara nodded, unsure of what to think about her behavior.  
"O-okay. Th-this is my first time too..." she said as she faced him again, with a determined look in her face. She began to lean in again, and now Gaara also moved towards her. This time, when they connected, something strange happened. He wasn't sure what it was he felt. But, for some reason, his heart began to pound and more blood went to his face. They stayed in that position for a while, then she finally leaned back. She looked at him dreamily...  
"You're blushing!" she laughed, although she still had the dreamy look in her eyes. "This is the first time I've seen you blush!" Gaara touched his face, and realized that it actually felt hotter.  
"I-I didn't think," he tried to sound unconcerned as he began walking again, "that a kiss would be so... nice." Kitai laughed. She wrapped her left arm around his right and leaned her head on his shoulder.  
"You're really some piece of work, kid," she said happily.  
  
"There's the border," Gaara said in a hushed voice as he and Kitai hunched behind a bush. A large wooden wall with a gate that two guards were standing by was ahead of them. "We should cross it at night, to avoid being seen."  
"Right," agreed Kitai. "I guess we should find a place to hang out for a while."  
"Yeah, let's go."  
They trudged into the forest and then settled down in a clearing. Gaara set down his gourd as Kitai sat down.  
"Well, this is nice..." she stretched out and reclined on a tree.  
"Yeah," Gaara agreed. As he took off his gourd, he realized he still had the Sand forehead protector on his strap. He looked at it silently as Kitai observed him quietly. He took off his strap and began undoing the forehead protector's tie. In a few minutes he had gotten it off. He put his strap back on.  
"What're you going to do with it?" Kitai asked quietly as Gaara held it in his hand. He grinned.  
"Let's find a river."  
  
Kitai and Gaara stood at the bank of some large rapids. They roared furiously as Gaara gripped the forehead protector. He looked at it again.  
"Well, this is it," he said to Kitai.  
"Yeah," she responded softly, "Are you sure about this?" He didn't answer right away.  
"I always wondered what it would be like," he said, "to be able to start completely over." He looked at the river. "I guess I'm about to find out." He flung the protector like a frisbee, and watched it fall into the rapids. Soon it had completely disappeared.  
"You think anyone's gonna find it?" asked Kitai as Gaara turned away.  
"Who cares?" he responded truthfully. Kitai smiled as he walked away, then hurried to follow him.

* * *

Was that not a lovely ending? Ok, it may have been a -wittle- corny... Get over it. Anyway, DON'T forget to review... please.  
  
New chapters will come up if I get enough reviews!! So if you don't usually leave one, then do it now! Even if you hated it! As you can tell, I'm pretty desperate for reviews. My sister's the only one that's read this, and she sucks at constructive criticism (no offense, onee-chan). I hope you enjoyed it, and see ya next time!  
  



	11. On the Road

Hey! I'm finally posting the FINAL part of my story! Yep, it's finished!

Thanks to everyone that reviewed. You guys are so cool! (sniff) Looking at the happy reviews makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Well, I hope I can live up to expectations (don't put 'em too high, people)!

Note: I am NOT good with names, so, er... if you know Japanese (which I don't), don't get on my case about them. I just put in random words into an online dictionary, sooo....

Chapter 11: On the Road

It was a beautifully sunny day as Gaara stood silently with his arms crossed, waiting for Kitai to return. He had his eyes closed as people who walked past him watched him with curiosity. He hated standing around.

He opened his eyes and saw three girls standing across the street from him. They kept giving him strange looks, then they would whisper something to each other. One of them saw him looking at them. She blushed and said something to the other two, and they all began to giggle. Gaara sighed quietly. He shut his eyes again and blocked them out. Soon he was slowly drifting into sleep.

"Hi, excuse us?"

He opened his eyes to find that the three girls were now standing in front of him. They were all blond, had brown eyes, and were smiling cheerfully.

"You're not from around here, are you?" asked one girl as she grinned. Gaara slowly shook his head, feeling slightly irritated.

"Yeah, we kind of figured that," said another, "There aren't a lot of guys in this village that are like you." Then, as if she had said something she shouldn't have, she turned away and blushed.

"Well," the third said, "Aren't you gonna introduce yourself?" Gaara really felt annoyed now, although he managed to keep his cool demeanor.

"Gaara," he said abruptly. The girls burst into a fit of giggles. He didn't get what was so funny.

"What a cute name!" one exclaimed, "I'm..."

"Ahem," Kitai cut her off abruptly. Gaara looked at her, relieved that she had finally come back.

"Yes, can we help you?" the second girl said with an irked tone.

"That's what I was gonna ask," Kitai responded coldly.

"What'd you find?" Gaara asked before the girls could start talking again. They looked at him disbelievingly.

"You _know_ her?" asked the third.

"Of course he knows me," replied Kitai through gritted teeth, "I'm traveling with him." The girls looked at each other with disappointed faces.

"Anyways," Kitai turned towards Gaara, "I looked everywhere, and there's only one inn in this town. It's called the..."

"Mountain Inn," cut in one of the girls, "Yeah, that's our place."

"Your place?"

"Our parents own it," replied another.

"Ohh," Kitai took a tone of mock discovery, "You're _sisters_. And here I was thinking that you were just a clone experiment gone wrong. Oops, my bad." The sisters glared at Kitai, and Kitai glared back.

"Well," Kitai said politely, "We really _should_ get going. It's getting late, you know." She took Gaara's hand, but he didn't move. She looked at him expectantly.

"Kitai," he said, "Let's stay at the inn. We've been camping out for weeks, and it's about time we had something besides fish for dinner." Kitai looked disappointed.

"Aw, come on, Gaara," she half whined, "We can make it to the next town."

"Actually, the next town is fifty miles away," one girl said simply, "If you're lucky, you can make it by tomorrow afternoon." Kitai glared at her.

"We're staying here," now Gaara took Kitai's wrist and pulled her back. Kitai hunched her shoulders in annoyance.

"Great!" exclaimed a sister happily. "But first, we should introduce ourselves. I'm Ichi..."

"I'm Ni..."

"And I'm San. The inn's over here!" They began to walk away and Gaara followed.

"One, Two and Three," grumbled Kitai as she followed Gaara grudgingly, "Boy, that's creative..."

"Hey mom!" Ichi yelled, "We've got customers!"

A chubby looking woman with dark hair waddled into the entrance room.

"You're just in time for dinner!" she exclaimed happily. "Please, come in!" Gaara and Kitai followed Ichi, Ni, and San into a shabby looking inn. They went into a room with a large table. A large steaming pot sat in the center of the table along with a tub of rice. Kitai's stomach gave a large growl as she smelled the wonderful aroma of the stew. Gaara gave her a funny look as he set down his gourd then sat down himself. Kitai quickly sat down besides him.

"So, how many rooms for you?" asked the woman, "Two?"

"No, just one," Kitai answered as she eyed the pot. The woman looked a little downhearted.

"Are you sure?" Kitai raised her eyebrow at her. "With two beds?"

"That depends, do two cost more?"

"A little."

"Then just one." Kitai didn't notice the let down look of the woman and the strange glances the sister's gave each other.

"All right, your room is at the end of the hall," the woman sounded disappointed as she walked into another room. Then she returned with trays that carried bowls, cups, and chopsticks. She set them down in front of each person.

Soon everyone was eating and the only sound that was heard was the sound of the chopsticks hitting the bowls. Kitai looked around, and for the first time noticed that they were the only guests.

"Business is kind of slow, huh?" she asked politely.

"Business is good enough," the woman said abruptly. "Now, you'll have to excuse me, I have some paperwork to take care of." She got up and left. Kitai wondered if she had said something wrong.

"Don't worry about her," Ichi said as if reading Kitai's mind, "She's always grouchy when we have few guests." Kitai shrugged. The three sister's gave each other sly looks.

"So," said Ni, "Do you guys sleep together often?"

"Yeah," shrugged Kitai. More sly looks were given. Kitai knit her eyebrows, noticing the secretive air around them.

"Wow," San said deviously, "You're not much older than me, but I suppose that you've already... you know..." Kitai's food suddenly got lodged in her throat. She coughed and nearly spat it back out. Gaara silently listened in.

"_What_?" Kitai asked after she could speak again.

"Oh, don't be shy," Ichi gave a cunning smile, "If you've already made love, just say it." Kitai's fists clenched. She didn't answer at first. Then she slammed her hands on the table and leaned towards the sisters. They also leaned in on their hands.

"You guys are pretty nosy, aren't you?" she asked, a fake grin plastered on her face. "Do you interrogate all of your customers?"

"Only the ones that are worth interrogating," responded Ichi with a similar grin.

"You know, just because you're a bunch of hentai's, doesn't mean we are."

"A woman's virginity isn't a forbidden matter," Ni said simply.

"When you're talking in private."

"Does that mean you have something to confess?" San asked innocently.

"I have not slept with Gaara, and I won't even consider sleeping with him for many, -many-, years to come."

"I don't think he'd like having an ugly old bat as a girlfriend," Ichi put her hand up and covered her sly smile politely.

"Better than a dim-witted, ugly, fake blonde wretch who lives in a hick town in the middle of nowhere." All innocent grins disappeared as lightning flashed in their eyes. Kitai was so busy glaring at them that she almost didn't notice Gaara getting up and leaving. Almost.

"You don't have a very magnetic connection, do you?" smirked Ichi as Kitai got up hurriedly. Kitai gave them a deceptively cool smile as she flashed her middle finger at them.

"Those conniving little wenches!" Kitai was still seething as she and Gaara walked down the hall. "You'd think they'd know us when they asked those questions."

"What did they mean?" Gaara couldn't see why Kitai was so upset.

"What do you mean what did they mean??" exclaimed Kitai.

"Like, what does 'making love' mean? Or, 'having sex'?" Kitai stopped mid step as her face grew hot. Gaara could nearly see the steam coming out of her ears.

"No. Way." she said after she regained her composure. She put her hands up. "I am NOT explaining this. You're on your own. It was hard enough _listening_ to the talk about the birds and the bees. To actually _give_ it would be torture. I'm only twelve for Kame's sake!" She continued walking down the hall until she reached their room. Gaara shrugged and followed her.

"To think we could be sleeping under the stars right now," Kitai said as she slumped onto the ground and fell back on her back.

"Come on, this isn't that bad," Gaara said as he set down his gourd.

"And what _were_ you doing, talking to them?" Kitai propped herself up on her arm. "It's obvious all they care about is your looks. They're not interested in anything else... Stupid, narrow minded airheads..."

"What're you talking about?" Gaara asked as he set out the futon.

"They came up to you because they thought you were cute."

"Cute?"

"Argh! Attractive! Handsome! Pretty!" Gaara had never really considered his looks before. Was he really attractive? He remained silent as Kitai continued to seethe.

"So... you're jealous because I talked to them?" Kitai fell on her face in surprise.

"I am NOT jealous!" she exclaimed, "There's _nothing_ to be jealous about!!" Gaara chuckled to himself amusedly.

"_What_ are you laughing about??" Kitai asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Gaara said as he got into the futon. He lay down and closed his eyes. "Come on, let's go to sleep." Kitai frowned grudgingly, but crawled into the futon anyways.


	12. Unexpected Reunion

Chapter 12: Unexpected Reunion

"Good mo-o-orning!" chimed Ichi as she knocked on a door. She was standing in the hall with her sisters, waking up the guests. "It's time for breakfast!" The door slammed open.

"For Kame's sake!" A groggy looking girl with brown hair put up in four ponytails slammed the door open, "It's seven o' clock and we got here at midnight! Do ya think you could let us sleep in a little??" The sisters jumped back in shock.

"We're sorry," sniffed San, looking insulted, "But we're supposed to wake all the guests for breakfast, or else they don't get any."

"Just because we're your only customers..."

"You are NOT are only customers," Ni cut in, "We actually have two other people that stayed here last night."

"Probably the neighborhood drunks..." Temari muttered as she slowly closed the door behind her.

"No!" Ichi exclaimed through the door, "It's a really hot guy called Gaara and his... er... traveling friend." The door slammed open again. Temari was suddenly very awake.

"What did you say his name was?" she asked suddenly.

"Gaara," Ni said dreamily. Temari ran into the room and started shaking a sleeping Kankuro.

"Kankuro! Kankuro!" she exclaimed, "Wake up, dammit!" Kankuro muttered something about it being too early.

"Forget that!" continued Temari, "It's Gaara! I think he's actually here!" Kankuro's eyes snapped open as he shot up.

"WHAT??" he yelled.

"Oh, do you know him?" asked San innocently. Kankuro and Temari ignored her.

"Y'mean he's alive??" gaped Kankuro.

"I don't know if it's him or another guy named Gaara," answered Temari. They both stared at each other, then scrambled for their weapons. They ran to the door.

"Hey, hey!" Temari yelled at the sisters, "Where's he staying?"

"er... At the room at the end of the hall," said a very confused Ichi. Temari and Kankuro both bolted down the hall, the sisters followed.

"Shh," hushed Temari as they stood silently in front of the door, "Be quiet." She slowly opened the door. Everyone craned their necks to see inside. On the floor in the futon lay two people, a girl and a boy. The boy was sleeping peacefully with both arms spread out. The girl had her head resting on his shoulder. One arm was spread out and the other lay on her chest clutching the blanket. Her mouth was wide open as she breathed heavily. The girl had unmistakable messy black hair, and the boy had the instantly recognizable eyes and tattoo of "love" on his forehead. Temari slowly closed the door. She and Kankuro gaped at each other.

"I don't believe it," muttered Kankuro, "We should've known that he was still alive. No way he could've been defeated so easily."

"That's not him," said Temari simply. Kankuro stared at her.

"Whaddya mean??" he said in a hushed voice, "You saw the tattoo, and the eyes. His gourd was even at the far end of the room."

"But, since when does he sleep like that??" Temari replied in a hushed shout, "Gaara of the Desert has NEVER been that close to someone."

"Gaara of the wha...?" asked the bewildered sisters. Suddenly, the door opened.

"Do you mind carrying on your conversation elsewhere?!" Kitai exclaimed, "Some people are trying to sleep!" Then she saw Temari and Kankuro, huddling in their pajamas furtively. She stared at them in disbelief.

"EEAAAAAAHHHH!!" she and Temari both yelled as Kitai jumped back. "YOU?!" Kitai proceeded to stare at Temari and Kankuro, as they stared back at her in silent astonishment.

"Temari, Kankuro," Gaara broke the strange silence coolly, "What're you doing here?" They both stared at him incredulously.

"Uh," Kankuro faltered, "We-we were going to ask you the same thing." Gaara shrugged indifferently as he walked out of the room past the group.

"Not much, just traveling," he answered as he walked out of the room.

"Wait, Gaara!" Temari stopped him, "Why are you here? Why didn't you come back to the village?"

"Everyone thinks you're dead," explained Kankuro, "They even had a memorial service and everything."

"But if they find out you're alive and haven't come back, you'll probably be labeled a Missing Nin and end up the target of a group of Hunter Nins." Gaara didn't answer as he stood with his back towards them.

"You don't understand," he replied as he continued walking, "Gaara of the Desert was already killed by a Hunter Nin. Now I'm just Gaara." Everyone watched as he continued walking down the hall, then disappeared around the corner. Temari and Kankuro just kept gaping at the spot where Gaara had stood a second ago.

"Um, okay..." Kitai didn't like this situation, "I'm just gonna squeeze through here..." She tried to sidle past Kankuro and Temari, but they suddenly noticed her and blocked her way.

"What did you DO to him?" gawked Temari.

"I didn't do anything to him!" frowned Kitai, "Now, could you let me through?"

"You're not going anywhere," growled Kankuro. He and Temari both put their hands on their weapons, ready to strike.

"Hey! I don't want to fight you!" Then Kitai added in a mutter: "I just got my cast off..."

"You're gonna answer our questions," replied Kankuro threateningly. "Since Gaara won't."

"First," Temari asked, "Why haven't you returned to the Hidden Sand Village?"

"Oh, well..." Kitai scratched the back of her head unconcernedly, "Being dead and all, we didn't think it would be a good idea."

"Ichi," whispered San, "Do you get any of this?" Ichi shook her head bewilderedly.

"About that," asked Kankuro, "what did he mean when he said he was killed by a Hunter Nin?"

"Umm, it's a long story..."

"We've got time."

"No we don't! Breakfast is gonna get cold!" Temari and Kankuro gripped their weapons menacingly. Kitai sighed. "Let's just say that a Hunter decided to spare us, being the sensitive nice guy that he was."

"What??"

"Whaddya mean 'what?'?"

"Do you expect us to believe that a Hunter showed compassion and spared your lives? That's about as likely as Gaara showing compassion."

"Which is very possible." Temari and Kankuro stared at her disbelievingly. "What?"

"The Gaara we know," replied Temari, "has never spared someone's life. He's never considered people to be people."

"The Gaara you knew wasn't the real Gaara at all," responded Kitai simply.

"He's our brother," Kankuro said, "We've been putting up with him for twelve years. In that time we've never seen him let someone go. We've never even seen him laugh." Kitai sighed again.

"I've heard him laugh," she replied simply. They started gawking at her again. "You know, that's getting really annoying."

"You've heard him laugh?? Are you sure he wasn't about to kill someone?"

"The only time we've even seen him smile was during a battle," Temari cut in, "Especially after he's just slaughtered a group of people. He acts like a total monster sometimes." Then Temari noticed that Kitai was giving them one of the coldest glares she had ever seen.

"And you wonder why you don't know him," muttered Kitai. "Let me through. Now."

"Wait, we're not done," Kankuro stepped in her way. She shoved him aside.

"Ask him yourself," Kitai responded coldly as she walked down the hall.

"Does this mean Gaara-kun is a shinobi?" asked a clueless Ni.

Kitai slumped down besides Gaara. He looked at her questioningly, but she just shrugged with feigned happiness.

"It's about time you joined us," the landlady said happily, being in a much better mood with two more customers. "Here's your bowl, help yourself." Kitai thanked her and happily filled her bowl. Gaara knew that something had happened, he could tell by the strained smile on her face, but he decided not to ask yet. He heard Temari and Kankuro walk into the dining room and take their seats. The sisters followed and also sat down. A tense silence filled the room.

"It seems most of you are still asleep," the landlady continued jovially. No one answered and perspiration filled her forehead. She sneezed, and no one said "bless you." She sighed then excused herself and left the room. No one took notice of her leave, and they never spoke a word all throughout breakfast.

Kankuro and Temari both stared at the floor of their rooms silently. They were both pondering the same thing. Had their brother really changed? Was it possible that he wasn't the monster they had known all their lives anymore? It was true that he had been acting differently ever since they returned from the Konoha. His apology that they received immediately after the fight with Uzumaki Naruto stood out vividly in their minds. What would happen if they let Gaara go right now? Would they secretly regret this all their lives, if they left without getting questions answered?

"Ready?" asked Gaara as he and Kitai stood outside the inn.

"Yeah," sighed Kitai. She didn't think this felt right, just leaving those two like this...

"Then let's go." They both began walking down the street.

"Wait." Kankuro and Temari ran out of the inn. "Gaara, we..." But words seemed to fail them. It was true, they didn't even know what type of a person their brother was. All their lives, they feared him. Any wrong move in front of him would mean certain death. Yet, here was a girl that could talk to him so easily, that it made them jealous. It wasn't jealousy, exactly. It was more like a strange pang in their chest, something they couldn't get out.

"Kankuro, Temari," Gaara spoke to them, not facing them. "I know it must've been hard, living with me and putting up with me. I'm sorry for that." Gaara's siblings looked at him with wide eyes.

"I guess," he continued, "You never understood me, and I never really understood you. We just had too many differences, even now." They held their breath in anticipation. "But, right now, I'm asking you not to tell anyone you saw us here. Please. I like traveling with Kitai; I don't really care about being the strongest shinobi or the strongest weapon. This is the only time in my whole life that I've truly felt alive." Temari and Kankuro's tense bodies suddenly relaxed. They let out their bated breath and actually felt relief. So, their brother was just human after all. They both looked at each other, silently agreeing.

"Don't sweat it," Kankuro grinned.

"Yeah," Temari was also grinning, "We won't tell anyone, little brother." Gaara was silent for a minute.

"Thanks," he said. He looked at them, and for the first time they saw a real smile on his face. "Come on Kitai, let's go." Kitai nodded in response as Gaara started walking. She gave Temari and Kankuro a final grin as she followed Gaara.

When they had heard that he had died, they didn't feel happiness or sorrow, just relief. This constant burden in their lives was suddenly gone. When he reappeared, they couldn't help feeling disappointed at this fateful turn. But now, as he once again walked into oblivion, a strange feeling permeated their thoughts.

"You know," said Temari thoughtfully, "I think I feel a little sorry, seeing him go." Kankuro was surprised at this identification of the strange squirm in his stomach, but he nodded in agreement. The brother they had known for twelve years had been replaced by another. And now, he was gone and they would never know him.


	13. Festival!

Chapter 13: Festival!!

The warm, salty breeze ran through her long black hair making it flutter behind her as she smiled happily, leaning out against the rail. She pressed her face against the warm air, welcoming it fondly as it brushed against her skin. Gaara breathed in this same air, and grinned softly as it seemed to spread through his body, making the tips of his fingers tingle.

The small boat slowly reached the dock. Soon stairs had been pulled out and the passengers were filing out, lugging their belongings behind them. Kitai and Gaara mingled behind them, waiting for the line to diminish.

"Ready?" Kitai's face glowed with happiness. Gaara nodded. They bolted down the ship, fleeting past the preoccupied sailors and arrivals they crossed the dock and ran into the busy port of the large city.

"I win!" Kitai exclaimed ecstatically. She laughed happily as she danced around Gaara. Watching her, he didn't notice the strange looks from the people around them, or the furtive whispers they gave each other. He only noticed how happy she seemed. She twirled to a stop next to him and threw her arm around his neck.

"How does it feel, Gaara?" she sighed as she looked up to the sky, "After five years we have traveled through every major country in this ocean." Gaara couldn't help grinning widely. Her happiness was very contagious.

"Welcome to Kiro no Kuni," he said happily as he also looked up, "The land of Mist."

Traveling non stop for five years would definitely slowly wear some people out. But, for Gaara and Kitai, it had only pumped more energy into them. Waking up in a different place every day gave them a reason to jump out of bed (or out of a tree). They lived where they wanted to and how they wanted to. Working only when necessary in fields or running errands, they were able to hop from village to village, country to country.

Now, they were both seventeen, and were considered adults in most places. Gaara had grown exponentially. He wasn't short anymore and was taller than most guys his age. His clothes were nearly exactly the same, with only a different type of collar or a different shade of pants. Kitai (unbeknownst to Gaara) had developed into a rather beautiful girl. Her womanly figure replaced the childish one she had five years ago, and men's eyes tended to wander towards her. She nearly always wore black, just like her jet black hair that graced the upper part of her back, which brought out her startlingly blue eyes.

Looking at them you'd never guess that they were trained in the secret arts of Ninjutsu.

"Where should we go?" asked Gaara. He and Kitai stood at a four way fork in the road. Kitai grinned, closed her eyes and spun around. She slowly stopped and faced one of the paths.

"This way," she announced happily. Gaara shrugged as they walked down the path, neither really caring where it ended up.

Gaara and Kitai had wandered into this nameless city, just as they had for so many others. However, they were surprised to find joyful laughter mixed with the sounds of so many different stalls and rides as a huge festival progressed. Kitai's eyes were bright with excitement as she watched children chase each other happily as parents dreamily told them to slow down, too preoccupied in the festivities themselves to notice their children.

Gaara was also preoccupied in watching all the different people around him. He had never been to a festival before, he always thought of them as a stupid excuse to go out and get drunk. But he couldn't help grinning as the parents snapped out of their daze and scolded their children after they ran into a group of elderly women. He wondered if Kitai had seen it. He turned to his side and was surprised to find no one there. A huge cat face suddenly appeared in front of his. He jumped back in surprise as it laughed happily.

"Got you," Kitai giggled as she took off the mask. She grinned at him. "Don't I look just like a real Anbu with this on?"

"Where did you get that ridiculous thing?" Gaara asked, masking his amusement with contempt. Kitai grinned at him, knowing him too well to be fooled by his feeble attempts to hide his feelings.

"You didn't think it was so ridiculous when you nearly jumped out of you pants a minute ago," she said mockingly.

"You caught me off guard." He shrugged as he snatched the mask from her hands and examined it unenthusiastically.

"Whatever," Kitai said as she snatched it back. "I think it's cute." She put it on the side of her head with a goofy grin. Gaara couldn't keep the smile from inching onto his face.

"Let's stay here for a while," he said as he stepped forward, "I've never been to a festival like this before." Kitai beamed as she took his arm and urged him forward happily.

The sun was setting rapidly as the day winded down. The festival, on the other hand, only seemed to grow with the rapidly approaching night time. Kitai had taken this opportunity for another of her "life lessons." She and Gaara had played nearly all the carnival games, from catching goldfish to throwing rings on glass bottles, and eaten nearly everything that was worth eating. Gaara had never had such a good time before.

"It melts in your mouth," Kitai was saying, "Try it! It's really good!" She held up the cotton candy as Gaara gingerly picked some off. He placed the sticky wooly stuff into his mouth and was amazed at the strange sensation he got as it melted into sweet liquid. He and Kitai strolled away from the stand as they picked at the large fluff of cotton candy that Kitai was holding. They stood in content silence as they watched people pass by.

"Festivals are so much fun," Kitai commented.

"I guess," shrugged Gaara, although his face was glowing after an afternoon of pure enjoyment.

"You know," said Kitai cynically, "One of these days I'm gonna make you holler out a completely ridiculous statement, just so I can see what you'd look like if you would just explode every now and then."

"You can try," Gaara responded coolly as he placed another piece of cotton candy in his mouth.

"Oh, you just wait," she said ominously as she licked the remaining candy off her fingers, "In the meantime, nature calls. I'm gonna go look for a restroom. You wait here, okay?" Gaara nodded as Kitai wandered across the street. He watched her enter the small shop.

"Is there a restroom I could use here?" Kitai asked the man behind the counter. He grumbled something that Kitai interpreted as "in the back," so she gave him a slight bow as she walked past a group of guys who were all wearing gaudy neon blue jackets. They all sniggered at her as she walked into the Ladies Room.

Minutes later, Kitai sighed as she shut the restroom door behind her and stepped out into the hall. The same group of boys was still standing in the same area, and they were all looking at her. She ignored them as she walked past them, but one of them stepped into her way.

"Hey," he said coolly, "Haven't seen you around here, baby." She gave an exasperated sigh as she glared at him icily.

"That's a lousy pick up line," she said coldly, "Could you move, you color blind idiot?" He frowned as his buddies sniggered behind him.

"Since you're not from around here, I'll let you in on a little secret," he leaned menacingly closer, "You've just insulted the leader of the toughest gang in the city, the Iwa-gumi." Kitai rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't care if you were the Prime Minister," she frowned. The other boys began guffawing loudly. She glanced at them. "And if you're the strongest gang in the city, then this place is more pathetic then I thought." They all stopped laughing. The leader was now clearly showing his frustration as a vein throbbed on his forehead. No one insulted the Iwa-gumi.

"This wench is more stupid than she looks," grumbled one. "I say we _educate_ her." They all nodded in agreement as Kitai balled her fists, ready to take these losers on.

"You guys want something?" Gaara had appeared behind the group. They all looked at him, clearly ticked off.

"Who the hell are you?" growled the leader boldly. He tried staring down Gaara, but Gaara gave him one of the coldest, most frightening glares that he had ever seen. It was enough to make a strong man's knees buckle. All the gang members were suddenly paralyzed.

"H-hey man," one said nervously, "We aren't doin' nothin'."

"Get lost," Gaara said in one of the coldest voices he had spoken in a long time, "You pathetic losers aren't worth my time." The gang was only too happy to oblige. They scurried out of the small restaurant hurriedly.

"Now what'd you do that for??" Kitai complained suddenly. Gaara gave her a surprised look. "You know I could've taken them on."

"Hmm..." Gaara turned around and started walking out.

"Hey! Don't brush me off!" Kitai evened strides with him. "I can't have you saving me all the time. It makes me look pathetic. I have to retain my dignity!" Gaara couldn't help grinning at her annoyance.

"Okay," he gave in, "I won't butt in next time."

"Thank you," she said happily. "Now, we need to go ride something fast."


	14. New Problem

Chapter 14: New Problem

"That guy gave me the creeps," shuddered one of the Iwa-gumi as they huddled together over booze in a small bar. The others gave half hearted nods as they bolted down sake.

"Will you shut up about that freak?" snapped the leader. "Man, if I ever see his sorry ass face again, I swear I'll..." He trailed off as the others looked at him expectantly. He muttered something incoherent as his companions looked down, apparently disappointed at their leaders shortcomings.

"We'd have to be, I dunno, shinobi or something to go up against a guy like that," one of them muttered, "I mean, did you see his eyes? And what was up with that freaky tattoo? 'Love'? Yeah right." They all murmured in agreement.

"You guys are pathetic," spat the leader as he gulped down more alcohol.

"Hey boss, here's an idea," the booze was getting to their heads. "Why don't you go after him? Since he seemed _so_ intimidated by you." They all sniggered as their leaders face turned redder than it already was.

"Hey, shaddup!" he hollered as he slammed down his saucer. "You'll see, I'll get that freak and his girlfriend." The group was suddenly uncharacteristically silent. He glared down at them as they shrunk back.

"Hey man, we don't want you to get killed or anything," one muttered, "That guy doesn't look like he wants to fool around."

"Yeah right," he puffed his chest out boldly, "NO one can take me on. Besides, I've gotta plan..." All the guys huddled closely as he leaned in and sniggered his plan to them.

"Oh my Gods!" Kitai laughed hysterically as she stumbled down the path, clutching Gaara's arm. "That was so fun!"

"I didn't think a train could go so fast," Gaara chuckled.

"It's not a train!" objected Kitai, "It's a roller coaster!"

"Whatever," grinned Gaara. Of all the rides they had ridden, the roller coaster was definitely the fastest. Kitai had nearly lost her "Anbu" mask as they sped through the dark night, clutching the metal bar before them for what they considered dear life.

"Ahh," grinned Kitai with wonder, "Let's go on this one next!" She pointed at the Tilt-a-whirl happily as she led Gaara towards it. Just by looking at it, Gaara could feel his stomach churn. He gingerly followed Kitai towards the line as he watched the people in the large suspended swings fly at ridiculous speeds in one large circle. Kitai saw his uneasy face.

"Relax!" she exclaimed reassuringly, "It's perfectly safe!"

"It's not that I'm worried about. What if..." Kitai cut him off.

"Who cares!? Live life so you won't have any regrets!" She happily pulled Gaara into one of the large swings.

Everything seemed to be a large blur as Kitai and Gaara stepped down from the swing. They could still feel their stomachs spinning rapidly as they walked off.

"Remind me never to go on something like that again," Kitai muttered as she held her head in her hands, trying to stop the spinning. Gaara didn't answer, but just clutched his stomach and closed his eyes, trying to urge the cotton candy to stay in his stomach. Kitai laughed as she turned towards him and walked backwards.

"You don't look so good," she giggled as she stepped back. "Is this training too tough...?" She stopped suddenly as someone wrapped their arm around her neck tightly and pressed a small dagger to her throat. Gaara was suddenly back to normal as he glared at the person holding her.

"Hey man," Kitai recognized the gang leader's voice, "Don't make any sudden moves or your girl gets it."

"What do you guys want now?" Kitai asked coolly. She saw Gaara getting ready to attack. "Hey, what'd I tell you? These guys are complete losers, I can take care of them in a few minutes. So don't butt in!" Gaara looked at her questioningly, but Kitai just grinned at him.

"Fine," he gave an exasperated sigh as he crossed his arms, "Do what you want." The gang didn't see Kitai's dark grin.

"Some man you are," laughed one of them, "Ditching her like that."

"You guys should learn how to tell if someone's stronger than you," Kitai said forebodingly.

"What're you talking about, wench?" the leader growled in her ear, "I've got you completely defensele..." Kitai's hand darted to his wrist and twisted it painfully. The knife clattered to the ground as she swiftly grabbed his forearm and flipped him over her shoulder. Gaara stepped to the side as the leader rammed head first into the ground by him.

"You guys are barely worth my time," Kitai said as she hopped lightly on her feet, putting her hands in front of her.

"Get her, you fools!" hollered the ground ridden leader as he struggled to get up, holding his wrist in his hand. The rest of the gang let out a loud war cry as they charged her. Kitai stood her ground and faced the first guy that reached her. As he jumped she darted in front of him and pushed her palm against his chest. He flew into one of his comrades that was behind him, knocking them both out instantly. Kitai turned to the one next to her as he flew by her with a punch. She ducked under him and swiftly jabbed his stomach. He collapsed into the ground as all the air was forced out of his chest. Kitai spun around and kicked the ribs of the guy that appeared behind her, sending him flying into a wall. Kitai slowly turned to the horror stricken leader as he slumped down, acknowledging his defeat.

"That'll teach you to stay away from unsuspecting tourists," grinned Kitai as she bent down towards his face with a bright smile. He was shaking with fear. "Don't worry, I didn't kill them or anything." The grin had a hint of worry and pity. "Just a few days in bed and they'll be back to their loud, unruly, stupid selves." The leader nodded frantically as Kitai stood up again.

"And I'd put some ice on that," Kitai motioned to his wrist.

"Are you done yet?" Gaara asked, a tone of impatience in his voice.

"You make it sound as if I enjoy beating people up," Kitai grinned at him. "Let's go." Gaara nodded as he and Kitai left the mostly unconscious and awestruck gang.

"How interesting," a dark figure laughed malevolently, "that he should show up here..."

"Okay, okay, how about this?" Kitai puffed out her cheeks and narrowed her eyes so much that the blue was barely visible. She and Gaara were walking down a quiet street. The festival had finally ended, and they were exhausted after so much partying.

"You look like you ate some bad ramen," Gaara said as he suppressed a laugh. Kitai threw her hands up in defeat. She had been trying to copy his stony glare as they searched for an inn, although now she was just fooling around.

"Argh!" she cried, "I give up. What if I just wear this all the time?" She slid the cat mask down from the top of her head onto her face. Then she held her hands out as menacing claws.

"Now you look like a seventeen year old girl who likes to play with masks." Gaara grinned as Kitai slid the mask back to where it was, both eyebrows raised skeptically.

"You shouldn't be talking," she said with a sly grin, "Since you're the one that jumped back with fright when you saw this."

"I was surprised," he shrugged, "There's a difference between surprised and scared."

"Whatever makes you feel better, buddy," she laughed. They reached another inn. "Your turn." His brow furrowed as he sighed.

"Hey, come on!" Kitai exclaimed when she saw how dejected he looked. "I checked the last two! Let's just hope we actually get a room, since nearly all the inns are filled because of the festival." Gaara shrugged as he walked towards the inn. Kitai let out a sigh of relief as she watched him enter.

She tilted her head up and let the night breeze play with her hair. The festival had been so much fun. She hadn't been to one since she was with her family in her old village. She wondered how they were doing in the other world...

A step in the packed dirt of the street interrupted her thoughts. She looked down towards the shadows, but didn't see anyone.

"It'd better not be that stupid gang again!" she called, hoping to scare them away. But she frowned. She got an ominous feeling from the person in the dark. Suddenly, two pin sized darts flew towards her at an incredible speed. They were in her neck and she was falling backwards before she could realize what had happened. The stars above her were slowly swallowed into the growing darkness as her eyes grew heavy and she passed out.

"Kitai," Gaara stepped out of the inn into the street, "We've got a room... Kitai?" He didn't see her anywhere nearby. She wouldn't leave without telling him. His skin prickled with uneasiness. Nearby, he noticed her mask on the ground. He walked to it and picked it up, examining it slowly as a growing dread consumed him. A small note dropped out of the mask.

If you ever want to see her again, meet me at the north edge of town in the forest tomorrow at noon.

Gaara crumpled the note in his clenched fist as he glared at it fiercely.


	15. The Deranged Shinobi

Chapter 15: The Deranged Shinobi

"Ohhh..." moaned Kitai as she opened her eyes slowly, "Who had the nerve to chuck a brick at my head?" Her head pounded as she squinted because of the bright light. She tried to put her hands on her head, but realized she couldn't move them.

"What the...?" She looked down and suddenly realized she was tied to a tree. She looked up and saw the back of a guy with unruly dark brown hair, dressed in what looked like black shinobi clothes. They stood in the middle of a forest of pines. "Who the hell are you??" She glared at him as he casually turned and looked at her. Now that she saw him she saw that he had narrow pitch black eyes, a Mist head protector around his waist, and looked rather weak. She silently cursed herself for being able to get caught by this wimp.

"You barely woke up on time." He had a monotone voice that irked Kitai. She looked up at the sun and decided it must be near noon.

"Did ya have to use so much sleeping stuff??" she snapped at him. "My head feels like it's been under a steam roller."

"That's normal. And, actually, it should've worn off hours ago. You're a very heavy sleeper, even under unnatural circumstances." Kitai frowned, feeling stupid and embarrassed.

"What're you planning to do to me?"

"Nothing, as long as he comes."

"So this is about Gaara. What're you trying to do, get the upper hand by kidnapping me? That's so stupid, and pathetic." The shinobi grinned darkly.

"I'd be quiet if I were you." He turned and faced her, the manic grin on his face made Kitai shiver.

"You'll have to gag me." She shrugged as she looked away from him. His grin widened as approaching steps were heard. Gaara stepped through the trees into the small clearing.

"Gaara!" Kitai grinned. "Sorry I ditched you last night. You did find a room, right?" Gaara resisted the urge to smile and show any feelings towards her.

"I see Kitai's fine," Gaara glared at the shinobi. "Release her unless you feel like dying today."

"You've become a sort of legend, you know?" The creepy grin was still plastered on his face. "Ever since the Chuunin exam at the Konoha people had been talking of your great power. No doubt they were all shocked when it was reported that you had died." His eyes widened with excitement. "Imagine my surprise when I heard a bunch of drunken idiots talking about you last night."

"Release her before I rip your mouth off for being so annoying." Gaara's glare grew fiercer.

"But watching you," he continued, brushing off Gaara's glare as he stepped towards Kitai, "I realized that you had grown softer. Gaara of the Desert would have killed all those buffoons without thinking twice. Obviously being with this girl made you... different." Gaara clenched his fists in frustration as he got nearer to her. "I like your girlfriend. She's got a strong spirit. Too bad her body's so..." He reached into the pouch around his waist and took out a kunai. He slowly drew it across her cheek as the red line it left behind swelled with blood. "... weak."

"You're pretty messed up," Kitai gave a sick smile. "Freak." The edges of the shinobi's mouth curled up. He took a few steps away from her, then flung the kunai at her. Kitai didn't even flinch as it landed a few centimeters from her ear, cutting off a chunk of her hair.

"You really do have a death wish," Gaara said, his voice now full of menacing anger.

"By killing you, the strongest of the Sand," He faced Gaara. "I'll prove to my comrades that I'm no weakling." He charged Gaara, punching rapidly at all his weak points. Gaara, however, dodged all of his attacks easily as he stepped to each side. He turned slightly, then hit the shinobi's lungs by planting his palm in the middle of his chest. The shinobi was thrown back. He remained on the ground with his head down as he struggled to regain his breath.

"You're out of your league," Gaara growled. "Idiots like you should be content with C rank missions, and should stay away from monsters like me." The shinobi didn't look up, but Gaara noticed a grin creep onto his face. In a split second he had appeared in front of Gaara, and a moment later Gaara was thrown back by the force of the punch he received in the face. A crack formed on Gaara's cheek as he stepped back. So he had been holding back.

"Well, it seems we've been underestimating you," Kitai appeared behind the shinobi suddenly. "But you really shouldn't underestimate me either." He jumped out of the way, but she reached him in midair. She sent a flurry of punches crashing all over his body, then jumped away as he fell on the ground. He struggled to stand up, and soon Kitai was over him again as she kicked in his stomach. He staggered back and collapsed as he coughed up blood.

"Geez," Kitai looked disappointed and regretted going so hard on him. "You're really weak."

"I wasn't in trouble or anything," Gaara looked slightly annoyed. The crack in his cheek was gone. Kitai grinned at him widely.

"I know, I know. But, like I said, I can't have you saving me all the time. It's embarrassing."

"Fine," shrugged Gaara with a half smile, "Then next time you can take care of yourself." Kitai's grin got wider as she stuck her tongue out at him. Suddenly, the fallen shinobi started chuckling quietly. Kitai's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him.

"You really think I underestimated you?" he laughed darkly as he looked up at her. "Anyone Gaara of the Desert travels with must be strong." His laugh got bolder. "I made the necessary precautions."

Kitai suddenly felt extremely lightheaded. The trees and shinobi in front of her started spinning violently and she felt like she was back on the Tilt-a-whirl. She shut her eyes tightly as she stumbled backwards. She felt her back connect to a tree, then she slumped down and held her head in her hands.

"What...?" she tried to talk, but she suddenly had the urge to throw up so she clamped her mouth shut.

"The kunai that marked you was dipped in poison," the shinobi laughed in response. "It's my specialty. The poison that you spread throughout your body yourself by attacking me is one of my special favorites. It targets the heart, and slowly paralyzes it. One by one your major organs will shut down as your heart beat gets slower and slower. In about six minutes only your brain will be receiving blood, but it won't matter since the lungs would have already shut down. This type of suffocation is ten times worse than any ordinary kind. This is actually the first time I've seen my poison at work." He seemed ecstatic as Kitai let out a shaky breath and slowly relaxed her muscles in an attempt at saving blood.

The shinobi didn't even realize he had been kicked as he flew back and nearly shattered a tree as he hit it. Gaara was standing where he had been seconds earlier. Gaara's slate blue eyes were livid with anger.

"I told you to shut up," Gaara said. "Since you will die."

"It's seems you've lost control of your emotions," grinned the shinobi as he stood up. "Excellent." He reached into his pouch again. However, instead of a weapon he drew out a needle instead. Gaara hid his surprise as the shinobi jammed the needle into his forearm and injected the black liquid.

"No holding back now." His voice had gotten deeper and his eyes had flashes of red in them. His muscles bulged slightly, stretching out his outfit. A hideous black chakra began to seep through the air towards Gaara. "Like it? I made it myself. It gives me a temporary boost that would put the Mizukage to shame."

He appeared in front of Gaara and served him brutal blows before he could even react. The sand armor flew off in pieces as he was pushed back. The shinobi stopped for a millisecond as he took a breath. In this time the sand poured out of Gaara's gourd. He put his hands in front of him and pushed them forward. A huge blast of sand rammed into the shinobi, sending him through a few trees. Gaara regained his composure as he let the rest of the armor slide off. It would take too much chakra to maintain it.

The shinobi plowed through a large tangle of trees and branches and faced Gaara once again.

"It's seems you're going to be a challenge, even with my special boost," he chuckled darkly.

"I'll say it again," Gaara answered. "You're out of your league." The shinobi frowned. He jumped to the left and flung kunai at Gaara, who easily dodged them as he followed him and ran to his right. The kunai went through trunks of trees that were in the way. Gaara sent a wave of sand through the ground. The shinobi jumped out of the way high into the air as he threw more kunai and shuriken. Gaara grinned. He had won.

Gaara sent a huge wave of sand shuriken through the air towards the shinobi. It would be impossible to dodge. Sure enough, the shinobi couldn't avoid a few direct hits with the shuriken. However, instead of going through him or skimming him, Gaara stopped them in his body. The shinobi landed painfully, then struggled to stand up.

"That's it," Gaara said darkly, "You've lost. All I have to do is un-grip my hand and every sand shuriken within you goes off like a tiny bomb. Imagine hundreds of grains of sand piercing your body in every direction." He held up his fist threateningly. He had been able to achieve a much higher level of control with his sand, now that it wasn't automatic and he could control it however he wanted. All the training with Kitai had really paid off.

"I guess I am weak," the evil grin was still glued to his face. "Here, catch." He tossed another needle to Gaara. Gaara caught it in his other hand, but didn't take his eyes off the shinobi. "It's the antidote for the girl. She'll be necessary to draw out your strength." Gaara gave him a look of skepticism. "You don't think I'll be the only one after you now, do you? Although I am weak, I'm still a Mist shinobi, and my death will be investigated. It won't be long before you're discovered, and there'll be a bounty on your head. You've obviously grown attached to her, and killing her would be the quickest way to make you reveal your true power. You're not undefeatable, it's been proven before. Too bad she'll have to suffer with you." His crazed eyes and grin bore into Gaara. He quickly undid his fist, and the shinobi dropped down, dead. Gaara wasted no time. He ran to Kitai and hoped he wasn't too late.

Kitai's head hadn't stopped spinning. The constant ringing in her ears drowned out Gaara's voice as he called her name. She was sweating profusely and could hardly breathe now. She felt a slight sting as a needle pierced her arm. She opened her eyes slightly, barely making out Gaara as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Kitai's body felt heavy as her mind woke up. She could tell she was leaning against something. She recalled the disgusting feeling she had earlier. So that was how it felt to die. She wondered if she was in a heaven or hell...

She dragged her arm across the ground and felt whatever she was reclining on. Bark. It was just a tree. She opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she realized was that it was dark. She followed her feet up to her legs until she was looking at her chest. She didn't look like a ghost...

She sat up, and realized she was by a river. Good, her mouth felt like sandpaper. Did ghosts get thirsty? She followed the bank with her eyes and saw a figure standing by it. Gaara. Well, he couldn't have lost to that loser, so she couldn't be dead. She slowly stood up and stumbled towards him.

"Hey," Gaara noticed her walking towards him. He held out a water bottle when she finally reached him and she took it gladly. "You're finally up." Kitai nodded as she gulped down water thirstily.

"How'd the fight go?" she asked when she had drunk the whole bottle.

"Fine. The guy was pathetic. I can't believe you were caught by him." This comment mildly surprised Kitai.

"Hey! He caught me by surprise! Besides, how was I supposed to know that I was gonna be attacked in the middle of a street in a strange town?"

"Aren't you supposed to be a shinobi? If you had kept your guard up, none of this mess would've happened." Kitai's eyes widened. There was something strange about him. He seemed more cold and detached than usual.

"Gaara, what's wrong? Did something happen during the fight?" She was worried about him. He shrugged and looked away. For once, he didn't want her to see how he felt.

"He just made me realize something, that's all."

"And what's that."

"That you really are just a liability." Kitai nearly dropped the water bottle in surprise. Gaara would never say that to her.

"I'm a liability? What do you mean?" She sounded scared. Gaara turned his back to her.

"You're more trouble than you're worth. What did you think I meant?" Kitai stared at him, her mouth slightly open.

"Tomorrow, I'm leaving Mist," he continued as he walked away. "You can go wherever you want. As long as you're not with me." Kitai's hands fell to her side as the water bottle dropped to the ground. She couldn't believe what he was saying, it had to be a joke. But, Gaara never joked around.

"Gaara!" She ran in front of him. She evened her gaze with his, but he looked away. "Do you... really want me to go?" Gaara was silent for a moment. Then he looked directly at her, his eyes unusually empty.

"Yes."

Kitai could almost hear her whole world crashing around her as she slumped down to the ground, and he walked away.


	16. A Heavy Burden

Chapter 16: A Heavy Burden

Gaara woke suddenly. His body felt heavy, and although he had been asleep just a few minutes ago, he felt exhausted. He never thought he would have to use that sleeping jutsu again. But her quiet sobs seemed to permeate the stillness of the night, making it impossible to sleep.

The sun smiled cheerfully on him, making the night before seem like even more of a bad dream. But he could see her sitting by the river, and he could feel the emptiness coming from her. This was no dream.

He wiped all emotions from his face and walked towards her. She was sitting silently, staring at the river as she hugged her legs.

"Where will you go?" she asked suddenly. Her voice was hollow and seemed to echo through the air.

"Anywhere, it doesn't matter," he shrugged, adapting a listless tone in his voice. "Are you going back to the Konoha?"

"No," she replied in the same hollow voice. "I can't go back since I abandoned it. They wouldn't take me in again, and I don't want to go back anyway. It's too late."

"You can go anywhere, as long as you're not with me," he shrugged again as turned his back towards her and walked to his gourd. He heard her stand up, the sand crunching under her feet.

"To keep traveling would be... pointless." The sadness in her voice made a pain shoot through Gaara, although he didn't show it. "I'm going back, to the only people that ever cared for me." Something was wrong. He turned towards her, hiding his uneasiness. A ghost of a smile crept onto her face as she looked at the kunai in her hand. She looked up at him, the same unnerving look on her face. "See ya."

The words to stop her were lodged in his throat as he watched her press the kunai against her wrist. He couldn't hide his horror as he watched the stream of blood pour from her wrist and cascade onto the ground. A frail laugh escaped her lips as she collapsed onto the ground.

Too much blood loss. She spent two days in intensive care because of that. Now she was in the recovery wing... again.

He couldn't help thinking of the last time he had been in a hospital. He had really hurt her. But she had forgiven him, and looked beneath the monster within him and seen who he really was. Now she was hurt again because of him.

Maybe she'd forgive him one day, even though he wouldn't be there to see it. However, there was a problem.

"She just won't eat," the doctor had explained to him. "When she does, she vomits, even with easily digestible foods. And even though we've been supplementing her intravenously, she's been getting worse in a very short period of time. Perhaps..."

Gaara hadn't listened to the rest of his speech. He didn't need to. He knew why she wouldn't eat.

"Why did you bring me here?" she had asked him the first time he had visited. She was staring at her tight fists clutching the sheets.

"The doctors say you should be better in a few days," he responded, ignoring what she had said.

"Why didn't you let me leave?" He didn't answer. "I was just a liability, I was getting out of the way."

"I didn't mean by killing yourself," he answered abruptly.

"What do you care how I leave?" She looked up and glared at him. "Damn you. Now it'll just take me longer to see my family. I hate you." He hadn't even blinked at this response. He had just gotten up and left.

She hadn't spoken a word since then. He knew she was furious at him, but he couldn't do anything about it. He had made himself not care.

He was back to the old Gaara. The one she hated.

And he didn't care.

At first, he had gone to see her a few times a day, but now he only went to see her once a day, at most. He hated seeing her. She was like a shell of the old Kitai, and he just couldn't help hating her. He couldn't stand seeing her so still, he could hardly tell she was breathing. Her empty blue ice caves for eyes were unfamiliar to him, but what was worse was the way she avoided looking at him. She could stare at a lamp shade for hours, but she couldn't look at him.

He hated it.

He stood outside her room, then he slowly opened the door and stepped in, his face surrounded by its usual apathy. The first thing he noticed was the untouched plate of food by her bed. He looked at Kitai, who was propped into a sitting position and was staring at the ceiling. She didn't make any motion of acknowledging his entrance.

Her eyes had an unfamiliar faraway look. He wondered if she was daydreaming. Her eyes moved around casually, a shadow of her old smile appeared on her hollow face.

"You haven't eaten," he said simply. She didn't notice or care to notice. The expression on her face changed from happiness to contentment. It looked strange on the pale skin with sunken cheeks and empty eyes. Gaara stared at it, letting a pang of sadness show on his face. He made his way to the door.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," he heard her say in a distant voice as he stepped through the door. His hands shook as he gripped them tightly.

"Gaara-san, I've been looking for you." Mask on. The doctor walked up to him.

"I think you should stay here for the night." Gaara gave him a questioning look. "Well, you see, Kitai's condition's gotten worse, much worse. She started hallucinating this morning, and, well, I don't think she'll last much longer. This may be her last night in this world and... Gaara-san...?" Gaara had walked away. He erased the memory from his mind as he stepped out onto the street.

Gaara threw his gourd on the ground as he collapsed by a tree. He was exhausted after training all day. He had kept himself busy, avoiding anything that made him think. But now...

He wondered if Kitai had been dreaming of the many nights they had spent sleeping under the stars. She always said she preferred camping out than staying in a hotel. But he liked sleeping in an actual bed better than on the cold ground. They always argued whether to camp out or check in. She'd always grumble about it if he won.

But it was a good type of grumble, not the type Kankuro would do that ticked him off so much. It made him feel, well, happy. Just like how her laugh made him happy, and her contented smile. She made him feel safe as he felt her body sleeping by his, or when he felt his or his hand in hers.

He missed Kitai.

He quickly deleted that thought.

The next person to see her warm smile would end up as the happiest person in the world. He'd take care of her. He'd go to festivals and restaurants with her, and he'd know what to say and when to say it, and he wouldn't need things to be explained to him.

And she'd be happy.

He had renounced any feeling for her, so why was he still here? Maybe without him around she would get better and go on with life. She'd be so relieved to get rid of him and she'd forget about him.

Just like he wanted.

Right?

He'd leave the next morning. He'd have to stop by the hospital and dump his pockets to pay for the bill first, of course, or else she'd have a nasty surprise waiting for her when she'd get better.

He leaned against the tree and looked warily at the round yellow moon sitting morbidly at the edge of the dark sky. He tried not to think about the nightmares that would surely follow, and how she wouldn't be around to comfort him.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But, just before he nodded off, the thought he had been suppressing surfaced.

What if she doesn't survive?


	17. Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 17: Past, Present, and Future

A dank, moldy smell nearly smothered him. He was standing in what looked like an old cabin that was nearly falling apart. The only thing in the packed dirt floor room was a filthy straw bed sitting in the corner messily.

"So many regrets... So many regrets..."

Gaara noticed for the first time a dark figure huddled in the other corner. His voice was old and cracked, repeating the same phrase over and over again.

"What do you regret?" Gaara found himself asking the stranger. He looked up warily, his face hidden in the darkness.

"Ah? What's this?" he said in his dusty voice. "Another ghost from my past here to bid me farewell?" Gaara didn't answer.

"There's only one thing I regret," the dark figure wheezed. "It caused me to be the unhappiest I had ever been. The death of my angel."

"You're crazy old man, there's no such thing as angels." The old man let out a dry laugh.

"Listen well, boy. There are angels in this world, even though you may not see them. My angel took the form of the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I regret her death so much..."

"What happened to her?" Gaara found his mouth moving again without his consent.

"You're a nosy little spirit, aren't you? Why did you come to torment this old man in his last moments? Can't you just let me pass away silently? Then again, maybe I do deserve a slow painful death, after what I did to her..."

"What did you do to her?" The old man laughed, or maybe he was coughing? It was hard to tell beneath all the wheezing.

"I tried to save her."

"But you killed her?"

"It was the most regrettable thing I ever did. I didn't even try to stop her."

"How could you try to save her, then end up killing her?"

"I just didn't know enough about the heart. I was an ignorant little whelp..."

"The heart?" The old man pretended not to hear him. He continued grumbling to himself.

"She was just too attached to this world. Maybe she loved me? If she did, I didn't deserve it. If only I could see her beautiful eyes one more time..."

"What did you do to her?" Gaara suddenly found himself extremely interested.

"One day she was there, the next morning I went to say goodbye, she was gone. Simple as that."

"She died over night?"

"No," he replied sadly. "She lingered for a little over a week. She starved herself to death. The last time I heard her voice, she was dreaming about the times we slept under the stars. So many regrets..." The old man started sobbing as Gaara felt his blood freeze.

"Old man, what was her name?" he asked slowly. The old man continued sobbing for a while, then he finally calmed down. Gaara could hear his dry cough as he tried to regain his breath.

"Kitai." The old man moved into the light. His face was wrinkled and miserable. Dark circles surrounded his eyes. On his forehead, was the tattoo for "love."


	18. No Regrets

Chapter 18: No Regrets

Gaara shot up, covered in cold sweat as he panted. The filthy smell of the cabin still filled his nostrils, and the image of his future self was imprinted in his mind.

It was just a nightmare, no different than the million others that had filled his nights. It was impossible to see into the future. Dreams were just fantasies.

He calmed himself down as he leaned back on the tree. Kitai was fine. He would go see her in the morning and she'd be fine.

"It was the most regrettable thing I ever did. I didn't even try to stop her."

Gaara sat back up and quickly strapped his gourd on his back.

"Live life so you won't have any regrets!"

He reached the hospital, and wasn't surprised to find the door locked. Sand quickly spilled out of his gourd and seeped under the door. On the other side, a sand bunshin unlocked the door. Gaara ran through as the bunshin turned back into sand and poured into his gourd.

He stood in front of Kitai's room, unsure of whether to go in. He couldn't just stand out here if she was really...

He stepped into the room. It was nearly pitch black, except for the moonlight pouring through the window. He could hear her crying so softly, as if she had no more energy left to cry with.

He couldn't put her in danger. If she stayed with him there would always be a threat hanging by her.

But if she died now, then what was the point?

That was probably just a dream, you can't see the future. She could wake up the next day and run a lap around the hospital for all he knew.

But she looked like she was in pain. This could really be it for her.

She has a strong spirit. She could pull through this.

What if it's not her spirit that was broken? She could've given up her will to live.

Gaara listened as his head tried to reason out what to do. He just couldn't decide.

"Gaara..." Her voice was dripping with sadness. His feet carried him to the side of her bed. Her silver tears gleamed in the moonlight. "I don't want to leave..."

He didn't know if she would live or not, but, he had to tell her. No regrets.

He let all emotional barriers give way. He put his hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears.

"Kitai... Kitai," he spoke gently. She didn't open her eyes, but she turned her head towards him. "I'm sorry. So sorry. I knew you would be in danger, if you stayed with me. I couldn't let myself do that to you... I had to get you away from me. I couldn't let you give your life up for me." He realized that tears were welling in his eyes. He shut them tightly, but the tears squeezed out and ran down his chin. "But, don't go. I don't want you to go... I, I really... love you..."

He was sobbing freely now, letting the tears flow as his shoulders heaved. He felt a trembling hand wipe away his tears. He opened his eyes, and realized that Kitai was looking at him. Her face was still pale, and her cheeks were still sunken in. But, her eyes were shining, and she was smiling so happily. He took her hand that was still resting on his face. It felt so cold.

"You..." Her voice was weak and soft. "You're such an idiot..." He couldn't help grinning as more tears filled his eyes. He quickly blinked them away. "That's... the stupidest thing... you've ever done..." He nodded, completely agreeing with her. She closed her eyes as her body relaxed.

"Kitai?" Gaara felt a panic grow in him.

"Don't worry about me..." she sighed. "I'm just... sleepy."

Oooooooh, suspense!


	19. It's Okay

Chapter 19: It's Okay...

It had been a dream. He felt like it had been a dream. Everything that had happened in that moonlit room was just too good to be true.

He felt cramped from sleeping in a hunched over position. He shifted his body a little, still not wanting to open his eyes. Why was he sleeping like this?

Someone stroked his hair gently. No one had ever done that before. Not even Kitai.

Kitai? What had happened to her? What about that dream he had, the one where he met his future self. Would Kitai really be gone?

He opened his eyes slowly. His head was resting on a bed that had a strange, over laundered smell. Someone was still gently stroking his hair. He followed the arm that the hand was connected to up to the shoulder, then up to the face. Kitai was beaming at him, her head cocked slightly to the side as she lay propped up in a sitting position. He stared at her incredulously.

It wasn't a dream.

"What's wrong?" she asked happily. "You look like you've just seen a ghost." He grinned and took her hand that was now resting near his head.

"You look like one," he answered. She frowned good-humoredly.

"You don't look like a million bucks yourself. At just what time did you go to sleep last night??" He shrugged. He hadn't been able to sleep, true, but he didn't really care.

"Gaara?" she asked. He looked at her expectantly. "I'm reaaalllyy hungry." Right on cue, a huge growl emerged from her stomach. She grinned sheepishly as Gaara smiled happily.

"I'm serious, doctor." The nurse led him happily. "I can't explain what happened but... Well, you just have to see for yourself." They approached the room of the young girl that had been seriously sick just the day before. They heard voices coming from inside.

"Ugh, this hospital food is nasty. Why do you think I haven't been eating all this time?" Kitai was saying as the doctor and nurse stepped into the room. The doctor's mouth fell open in surprise.

Gaara was sitting by Kitai's bed, a tray of hospital food between them. She was laughing happily after she had flicked one of the rubbery peas and watched it bounce halfway across the room. She looked as if life had come back to her.

"You're... you're eating?" The doctor gaped as Kitai kept giggling, and she nodded as the doctor kept staring. He grinned. "Amazing, the will to live never ceases to amaze me." Kitai started cracking up again.

"Hey, hold on a sec," Kitai was out of breath as she put her hand on a tree and rested. Her clothes hung loosely all over her body since she was so much thinner.

"We should try to reach the next village before nightfall," Gaara said as waited for her. She got tired much more easily now, even though she had a healthy glow about her again. But still, she would have to train harder to get back to her old self.

She laughed faintly.

"I guess," she said sadly. "I really am a burden now." A pang of guilt showed on Gaara's face as he looked at her while she tried to catch her breath. She stood up slowly and smiled. "Let's go." He didn't move as she walked past him with a fake cheerfulness.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she turned to him. He couldn't hide the guilt on his face as he looked at her. "Gaara?"

He reached out to her and embraced her, holding her tightly. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was for hurting her again, how happy he was that she was still here, and how much he cared for her. But he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He didn't have to.

"Gaara." She spoke in his ear as she wrapped her arms around him too. "It's okay. Really. You can't get rid of me that easily. I'll be with you always. I promise." He knew that. He could feel that in her as she also hugged him. But still, he wanted to hold her for just a little longer...


	20. Friends Epilogue

Chapter 20: Friends (Epilogue)

"Um, got any idea to where we're gonna stay?" Naruto asked Sakura as they walked down the large main street. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"There's an inn at the end of the street," Sasuke answered for her. "I told you that already."

"Heh, right." Naruto grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

The day was ending as the sun set slowly over the large town. The crowd in the street livened in anticipation of the exciting night ahead. The three Jounin that walked down the street hardly attracted the attention of the villagers, who had never really been bothered by the occasional travelers.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were one of the best teams in the Konoha. Naruto and Sasuke were the elite of the Jounin, and Sakura's medical skills were second to few, including the current Hokage, Tsunade. With their combined skills, their success rate on missions was nearly one hundred percent.

They neared the large inn at the end of the street.

"Hey, a ramen bar!" Naruto exclaimed as they passed a large restaurant. "Come on, let's get something to eat first!"

"Naruto, we have to get a hotel room first!" Sakura yelled at him. "What if they run out of rooms? Right, Sasuke? ...Sasuke?" Sasuke was staring at something, a strange look on his face. Naruto and Sakura followed his gaze.

"I think this mission just got harder," Sakura said as she stared at Gaara, who was leaning against the hotel with his arms crossed and eyes closed. "He hasn't seen us, if we leave now..."

"What're you talking about?" Naruto looked at her like she was crazy. "It's not like he'll eat us or something." He started to walk towards Gaara. Sasuke shrugged and followed. Sakura wavered for a minute, then hurried to catch up to them.

"Yo!" Naruto called out. Gaara looked up, and was surprised to see the three Genin he had fought in the Konoha six years ago.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" he said, showing mild surprise.

"Hey, you remembered me!" Naruto said cheerfully. "I guess I made an impression on you, huh?" Gaara's eye widened a fraction of an inch.

"You can say that."

"What're you doing here?"

"Waiting for someone."

"You know," Naruto said as he crossed his arms importantly. "It'd be easier to ambush someone in a more secluded area."

"I'm not going to ambush them." Gaara looked slightly annoyed. Naruto grinned sheepishly again. Gaara looked at Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he said. "You've gotten stronger, right?" Sasuke frowned.

"Yeah," he said. "You want to see?"

"Not really," Gaara replied, ignoring the challenge. The group fell into a strange silence.

"Hey, I got it." Someone threw a key at Gaara as he caught it with one hand. The Jounin turned around. Behind them, a girl dressed in black with traces of red was standing with wide blue eyes as she stared at them, her long black hair blending in with her clothes.

"Sakura-chan!!"

"Kitai-chan!!"

They both ran to each other and hugged happily. Eccentric strings of "how've you been?" 's, "oh my gods, look at you!" 's, and "I've missed you so much!!" 's followed as they both laughed happily, ignoring the strange looks from people who passed by.

"Geez, you've gotten so much taller!" Kitai grinned as she looked at her friend. "And you changed your hair!" Kitai grinned as she observed it. Sakura's pink hair was cut to her shoulders, and her bangs hung down in front of her face. She was wearing a white tank top with loose dark red capri's that had pockets for all her scrolls and tools. Her headband was tied around her waist.

"You've changed too!" Sakura laughed. Kitai's wild black hair reached her waist now and was tied in a loose ponytail, her black and red clothes made her blue eyes stand out vividly. She still had the same goofy grin that she remembered, except on an older face. They both saw the mature look in each other's faces, realizing that a lot must have happened to each of them.

"Kitai-chan, that's really you?" Kitai noticed the short blonde guy standing behind Sakura. She recognized the wide grin and crazy blue eyes instantly.

"Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed. "You've...! Well, you haven't gotten much taller, have you?" Naruto's face fell in disappointment.

"Geez, is that all you've got to say after five years??" Kitai laughed.

"I was just kidding, you've gotten taller, really!" Naruto still didn't look convinced. He was wearing what looked like another version of his favorite orange jacket, his spiky yellow hair still standing wildly on its own. He looked just like the old Naruto, except a little older. "It's good to see you!"

"Okay, whatever," Naruto grinned. Kitai looked at the dark figure standing besides him. He was wearing a white shirt with a wide collar, and black pants beneath that. His headband wasn't visible on his person. His eyes seemed darker and older beneath his spiky black hair that hid half of his face.

"And Sasuke-kun! How've you been?" Sasuke shrugged. Kitai smiled widely. "You haven't changed much." Then she whispered to Sakura: "He's gotten cuter." Sakura laughed nervously.

"Anyways, what've you been doing?" Sakura brushed off the last comment. Kitai could tell something had happened to the old pair.

"Just bouncing around with my traveling partner! You all remember Gaara, right?" She motioned to the forgotten ex-Sand nin as he stood in the back of the group. Everyone, but Sasuke, gaped at her in disbelief.

"What?" She knit her eyebrows in annoyance as she walked towards him.

"Oh, nothing!" Sakura snapped herself and Naruto out of their trance.

"I didn't think he was the type to like girls," Naruto muttered not so discreetly. Sakura elbowed him as Kitai gave an exasperated sigh.

"I heard you died in battle," Sasuke said, his voice showing indifference. Everyone but Gaara looked at him in surprise. "There was a report that you were killed six years ago."

"Yeah, that's true," Gaara replied simply.

"If you're still alive, then why haven't you reported back to your village?"

"Because that'd just annoy them." The Jounins looked at Gaara in disbelief.

"Kitai, you and Gaara could really get in trouble," Sakura said, concern in her voice. "If the Kazekage finds out then he could mark Gaara as a rogue shinobi and..."

"Relax!" Kitai grinned. "According to the Kazekage, Gaara is already dead. And even if he was being hunted down, I'd still stay with him." Sakura was taken back at her friend's response. "Anyways, you guys are too gloomy. Let's celebrate! How about we go out for ramen?"

"All right!" Naruto yelled.

"Hey, Kitai," Gaara told Kitai as he straightened himself. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."

"Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded.

"Besides, these are your friends. It's okay, just come up to the room when you're done. I'll leave the door unlocked." Kitai grinned as she nodded. Gaara nodded at the group, silently saying good night, then walked into the inn.

"I'm turning in too," Sasuke also walked into the inn, not bothering with any parting words. Kitai silently noted how different he was.

"Ramen time!" Naruto, on the other hand, was still his usual ramen-obsessed self.

"Sasuke's changed a lot, hasn't he?" Kitai asked as she, Naruto, and Sakura sat in the ramen restaurant at a small table. He and Sakura seemed to deflate a little at this comment.

"Well, a lot's happened," Sakura said as she stirred the noodles with her chopsticks. "He changed so much, that I hardly felt like I knew him for a while."

"So this is a totally re-made Sasuke?" Kitai asked.

"You can say that..." Sakura said sadly. "After what happened, I felt as if I had lost the Sasuke that I had wanted." She looked worn out. "So, I let go of any ideas concerning me and him. Even Ino could see the difference, and she also let him go."

"What happened?" Kitai asked, apparently concerned.

"It's a long story," Naruto answered, his mouth filled with ramen.

"We've got all night."

Kitai listened in silence as both Sakura and Naruto retold the incident with Orochimaru and the Sound Nins, starting with Naruto's trip with Jiraiya and the encounter with Itachi, to the death of Orochimaru. A couple hours and bowls of ramen later, they all sat in silence as the story finished.

"All that, huh? You guys have been busy," Kitai said. "Well, things just happen sometimes, and you just have to ride them out."

"Sometimes," Sakura said softly. "I wonder, if I had been able to stop Sasuke that night, a lot of the things that happened wouldn't have happened."

"There was no way you could've stopped him," Naruto answered darkly. "His mind was set. It was almost impossible for me to convince him to get back." Kitai looked at Naruto fondly.

"If anyone would've been able to stop him, it would've been you, Naruto," Kitai mused. "You have a way of exposing things and feelings that just clears things up for people. You're like... I dunno... an angel of reason." Naruto didn't know how to answer, he just grinned as he slurped up another bowl of ramen.

"You're talking about Gaara, aren't you?" he asked as he finished. Kitai laughed and nodded.

"You really knocked some sense into him, and you confused him too!" Naruto grinned again.

"Just doing my duty as a ninja! Just wait until I'm Hokage!"

"And when's that gonna happen?"

"When I feel like the old lady's done her part. She's actually not that bad of a Hokage."

"You're not waiting for her to get old, are you?"

"No way, she's already over fifty and she's got the strength of a twenty year old. I've got time."

"Heh, whatever." They talked for another few hours, reminiscing about old times, and listening to Naruto brag about the new techniques he learned from the Toad Senin.

After a while, Naruto fell asleep, slumped over the table as he dreamed about all the yummy ramen. Kitai and Sakura began to talk as they ordered some tea.

"So, Kitai, why exactly do you like Gaara?" Sakura asked slyly.

"Oh, I've got my reasons," Kitai blushed lightly.

"He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that could show a girl a good time."

"You'd be surprised," she laughed. "We've had a blast, going from town to town, dropping in on festivals and parties, and just enjoying each other's company. We've run into problems, true, but nothing we couldn't overcome."

"Problems? What kind?"

"Annoying kind, shinobi kind. Getting ambushed sometimes and such. The shinobi's at the Mist found out about Gaara. They tried attacking a few times, but they never really lasted long."

"Sounds dangerous, but I guess not many can stand up to Gaara of the Desert." Sakura twirled a chopstick through her fingers.

"That's true, and it did get dangerous sometimes. Gaara gets really protective. One time, he tried dumping me so that I wouldn't be in any danger. Can you believe that?" She laughed half heartedly. She didn't want to mention that she had almost died from being miserable.

"He tried dumping you so you wouldn't get hurt?" Sakura's eyes were wide. "Aw, he really cares about you!" Sakura crooned. Kitai blushed crimson.

"I guess..." Her eyes had a faraway, dreamy look.

"So that's why you like him so much!"

"Yeah!" Kitai said happily. "And, you've gotta admit that he's really cute."

"If you like the dark mysterious type... hmm, very Sasuke-ish."

"The only problem is, he doesn't realize just how good looking he is! He gets a bunch of unwanted female attention."

"Unwanted for him, or for you?"

"Please, he doesn't even notice how girls swoon over him."

"It's the same with Sasuke."

"Well, yeah, but he ignores them to act cool. He always has. With Gaara, it's just plain ignorance." She gave a dramatic sigh. "What can I say, I love an idiot." She and Sakura both laughed.

"So, where are you guys headed?"

"We're going west, off this continent and on to the next one! We've already been to every country here, so we're gonna explore the rest of the world."

"Gods, that could take a while."

"Yeah," Kitai laughed. "But who knows, maybe we'll stop someplace or something."

"Don't you ever get tired of traveling?"

"No... Well, sometimes. Anyways..." Kitai quickly changed the subject as the night winded down.

Kitai walked down the poorly lit hallway of the hotel quietly. It must've been past midnight. She and Sakura had talked for hours, until Naruto woke up and they decided it was time to head back to the hotel.

Kitai had actually felt a pang of remorse at some point. She regretted not being there for Sakura during the event with Orochimaru. She knew she and Gaara could've helped, even though Naruto said both Temari and Kankuro had come to help out. That must've been where they were headed when she and Gaara met them at that inn that day. Both Naruto and Sakura were looking forward to going back to the village, and sometimes Kitai regretted not having an actual home to go back to.

She reached the room she and Gaara had checked out, and stepped inside. Another hotel room in another city. Sometimes she did feel weary of traveling.

She looked around, the room was lightly lit by the moon, and she could see Gaara as he slept soundly in the futon. He was lying perfectly still, probably the exact way he had gone to sleep. She realized that she must be the one that messed up the bed so much by moving around while sleeping. She couldn't help it, after lying in a hospital bed for nearly two weeks, hardly moving, she couldn't stand sitting still. She was always moving in some way, even while sleeping.

She got ready for bed. Before she crawled in, she noticed Gaara. His face looked so serene as he slept. A hint of a smile was on his lips. He must be having a good dream.

She got in beside him, resting on her side as she put her head on his shoulder. She put her arm on his chest, and watched it rise and fall with each breath. She had to admit, sleeping with him like this every night was just as good as coming home.

Any regret that was left in her ebbed away as he slowly put his arm around her in his sleep, muttering her name in his dream as he turned his head slightly.

Shadows of smiles were on both of their faces as the moon traveled across the night sky, and they slept soundly at each other's sides.

Author's note!!

How was that for a kawaii ending? I hope you all like the story as much as I had fun writing about it. I really liked Gaara, and I couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy when I read about his ridiculously sad childhood (I read the manga online, but I haven't seen the series). I started to wonder who could make him feel happy, and I decided it must be someone happy, bouncy, and the complete opposite of what he was. So, Kitai spurted out of my imagination. I didn't think much about her appearance, except for her hair and eyes. If ya noticed, I hardly described her clothes. Too troublesome...

Anyways, technically this story is finished. Maybe I'll add some little episodes later if I feel like it... but right now I'm happy how things ended up. Please review and share any thoughts with this one! Try to numb down flames to constructive criticism please!

Arigatou!!

Kie-san


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